Residents in Sunshine were evacuated from their homes on Wednesday afternoon due to a major gas leak at a petrol station.
The Metropolitan Fire Brigade was called to the United Petroleum petrol station on Ballarat Road in Sunshine about 5pm after reports a 3000-litre LPG tank was leaking.
Nearby residents and factory workers were evacuated from the area and Ballarat Road was closed in both directions near Maylands Street.
“The vapour can cause an explosive mixture, so as a safety precaution they’ve evacuated those residents in that particular area,” an MFB spokesman said.
More than a dozen firefighters tried to disperse the vapour with a water spray. By 7pm, the leak had stopped because the tank had emptied itself.
VicRoads issued a traffic alert for Ballarat Road advising drivers to seek an alternative route.
This story first appeared in The Age
