Construction workers accidentally hit a natural gas line Tuesday while working on the southeast side of Westfield Old Orchard mall, according to Skokie police.
Skokie police told of the situation mostly using social media. The police department first reported on Twitter just before noon Tuesday that the gas line had been struck and called for people to “use caution in the area.”
The Skokie Fire Department and gas utility company Nicor were also called to scene.
“Our line was cut by a third party contractor doing construction work. Our crews responded to the area and repaired the damage,” said Nicor spokewoman Jennifer Golz.
Police said the situation was contained to the parking lot and there were no road closures.
Skokie village officials said the construction crew was working on an electrical upgrade project when they drilled into the gas line.
There were no injuries reported, police said.
Still, some mall customers reported inconveniences because of the incident.
A woman posted on Skokie police’s Facebook page that she tried to enter Nordstrom, one of the anchor retail stores at the mall, but it was blocked off. Other mall customers said they could not return to their vehicles right away.
Police said the parking lot was back to normal by later in the afternoon. Just before 5 p.m. Tuesday, police tweeted an all-clear message.
“The incident involving the struck gas line at Old Orchard Mall is now concluding,” the police department posted on Twitter.
Representatives from Westfield Old Orchard mall did not respond to requests for comments on the incident.
Twitter @SKReview_Mike
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