No Gas Leak Detected in Fairchild Street Area Following Underground Fire, Says National Petroleum Corporation (NPC)

The National Petroleum Corporation (NPC) says no gas leak has been detected in the Fairchild Child Street, St Michael area, following last month’s underground fire which resulted in a motorcar being damaged.

Last Tuesday, natural gas supplies had to be turned off and the area was cordoned off after what officials reported was a suspected gas leak.

Since then, there have been reports from the public about a scent of gas in the area.

But the NPC said in a release on Tuesday that several tests had been conducted since the incident and reports, and no leaks were discovered.

It said: “In response to the report of the smell of gas, the NPC dispatched a team who conducted a series of checks in Fairchild Street and the surrounding areas, using the Portable Methane Detector (PMD) – specialised equipment used in the natural gas industry to detect leaks. The PMD did not detect any gas leaks in Fairchild Street and surrounding areas.”

The NPC added that “forensic investigations are continuing in respect of an incident” and it would make a statement as soon as the investigations were

concluded.

It also disclosed that the scheduled National Gas Mains Replacement project for the area will continue this week, with work slated to be completed on November 10, weather permitting. (SB)