Streets in Sydney's CBD and around Martin Place train station will remain in lockdown into the evening after a high-pressure gas main was ruptured by an excavator sub-contracted to work on the Sydney Metro rail project.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance on Saturday admitted the "very serious" incident occurred within the state government site.
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance. Source: AAP
The admission came more than 15 hours after Fire and Rescue NSW first established a 200-metre exclusion zone around the street-level gas main after it was ruptured.
Castlereagh Street, Elizabeth Street and Phillip Street have been closed between Hunter and King Streets since the leak began about 10.30pm on Friday, while Macquarie Street has reopened.
The incident happened during preliminary works on the Sydney Metro site, Mr Constance said.
"An excavator in the area has hit a high-pressure gas pipeline and as a result we've had a major incident," he told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.
The minister said he was not "going to get into the ins and the outs" of which company was responsible.
Source: AAP
The leak emitted a strong smell and deafening hissing sound, and a number of commercial buildings were evacuated with police and Hazmat crews brought in to assist.
Jemena, the gas company with carriage of the pipe, has a team of 20 specialists working on the issue and plans to have the site repaired and returned to normal by midnight.
It plans to temporarily shut off gas near Martin Place about 7pm, reducing the size of the exclusion zone, while making it safe to start repair work from 9pm, Jemena said in a statement.
The gas pressure was reduced "to a safe level" earlier on Saturday and no customers are without gas due to service diversions, Jemena said.
The excavator involved was operated by a third-party contractor with Sydney Metro project director Tim Parker saying high-pressure gas lines require "special sub-contractors".
"For Jemena, there is a spotter so you have someone in the field who's looking over what's happening so if anything occurs on the site, you can see," Mr Parker said alongside Mr Constance.
"We had all that in place. But notwithstanding that, unfortunately, this incident occurred."
He labelled the incident "regrettable" and said they are working with SafeWork NSW to find out what happened.
Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Paul Johnstone said Jemena had put a "plug-type system" on the site to "stem" the gas leak but not to fully stop it.
Exclusion zones are expected to remain in place into the night.
Trains will continue to run on the Eastern Suburbs line but won't stop at Martin Place, and local buses are being diverted. The City Circle train line is not running this weekend because of trackwork.
Motorists and commuters are being asked to stay away from the area.
