Gas odor causes evacuation at Murrysville shopping plaza
An odor of gas caused an evacuation Tuesday afternoon at a Murrysville shopping plaza and sickened several people.
Six people were taken to a local hospital as a precaution when they reported feeling ill at the Walnut Hollow plaza on Route 22, TribLive news partner WTAE reported.
An official told the news station a gas odor was reported in the grill area of the plaza’s Chipotle restaurant.
Emergency crews responded to the plaza shortly before 2 p.m., a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher said.
Murrysville firefighters cleared the scene at about 3:20 p.m., leaving Peoples Gas officials in charge.
Peoples Gas spokesman Nick Paradise said the utility determined there was no problem with its infrastructure outside of the building.
It wasn’t clear when the restaurant would reopen for business.
Paradise said Peoples placed red tags on appliances in the restaurant, indicating they are not to be operated until they are checked out by a repair professional.
Messages left with a property manager for the plaza weren’t immediately returned.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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