700 people have been evacuated from their flats after a gas leak in West Sussex was declared a major incident by police.
The incident took place at a large block of flats in Melton Mount Avenue, Crawley, at 12.21am on Wednesday, with all residents moved into temporary accommodation, Sussex Police said.
Resident Leah Hicklin said she was evacuated at 1.30am but said that others were still being led from the building at 4am.
She told the BBC: We thought it was only something minor until they started evacuating the minor floors and then I was the top floor and I could smell gas.
Updated
Thursday, 7th January 2021, 5:59 pm
Up to 700 people were evacuated from a block of flats in Milton Mount Avenue, Pound Hill, at around 12.20am, due to a gas leak which police declared as a major incident .
Many described the moment they were told to leave as ‘scary’ and ‘horrendous’. Read more hereLocal people have rallied to help and are providing essential supplies, including baby essentials, for the families who are currently being housed at a number of local hotels.
Yas, who was on her first shift at Ridleys Coffee, a mobile coffee shop near the flats, said she came into work this morning to see the police at the scene.
Covid-19: More areas of England could be moved to tier 4 restrictions
23 December 2020 Image copyright PA Media
Ministers are deciding whether more areas of England should be placed under the toughest coronavirus restrictions in a bid to contain the spread of a new variant of Covid-19.
Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick said No 10 would make a judgement on whether the current rules were strong enough.
He said there was no immediate plan to widen curbs on Boxing Day but the number of cases is rising .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock will lead a Downing Street briefing at 15:00 GMT.
He will be joined by England s deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries and Dr Susan Hopkins of Public Health England.