Major gas leak in Utrecht Catharijnesingel; ‘Stay away and give space to emergency services’

On Wednesday afternoon, a major gas leak occurred in the Utrecht Catharijnesingel. The emergency services had evacuated several houses in the area and the Utrecht Security Region (VRU) called on Twitter to stay away and give space to the emergency services. The leak is now closed.

The leak comes from Catharijnesingel near the Bleekstraat and the old hospital. The emergency services first evacuated the houses from the Bleekstraat, but later also parts of Catharijnesingel and Vaartsestraat.

The larger area has been cordoned off and GRIP1 has been declared. This means that cooperation between emergency services is necessary to deal with an incident, in this case involving hazardous substances. Fire trucks came to the aid of Houten, De Bilt and Oudewater, among others. Just before 4 p.m., the VRU reported that the leak had been closed.

Buses were available for residents who had to leave their homes. At first, they were received on the buses themselves, but if more time was needed to stop the leak, a reception location was set up, according to VRU. In the end, it wasn’t necessary.

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A whisper

Firefighters, police and Stedin were present at the scene of the incident. A strong smell of gas and a hissing sound can be heard near the leak. Neighbor Martijn said he heard a loud “ thudding noise ” around 2 p.m. “After that, we saw workers leave quickly. From this thud, we hear a loud whistle.

According to the security region, the leak was in a pipe that has a higher pressure than a household connection. A spokesperson for VRU said Stedin needs to seal the pipeline on both sides.

Traffic in the area is diverted via the Bartholomew Bridge. Due to the gas leak, buses 41 and 29 pass through the Waterlinieweg. Bus line 2 will be temporarily canceled, reports U-OV. Trains will continue to run.

In #Utrecht a gas leak occurred on Catharijnesingel in the Bleekstraat and the old hospital. This concerns a pipe with a higher pressure than a domestic connection. Call to stay out of there and to give space to emergency services. information will follow. ^ MW

– Utrecht Security Region (@vrutrecht) March 17, 2021