Gas leak forces evacuations in Bunn
BUNN, N.C. (WTVD) -- Roads leading into downtown Bunn in Franklin County were blocked for several hours Wednesday morning after a gas leak.
Construction workers had dug a hole near a store to remove contaminated soil, and the soft ground around the hole gave way overnight, swallowing a 500-gallon propane tank nearby.
Someone passing by saw the vapor cloud from the leaking tank and called authorities.
Bunn Fire Department Captain Larry Hill said with no wind to carry the gas away, it could have caused a major explosion.
"It could have found an ignition source under a house or from a vehicle," he explained.
Some nearby buildings were evacuated while a hazardous materials team capped the leak and lifted the tank out of the hole with a back hoe.
The area was back to normal by noon.
