Gas leak prompts neighborhood evacuation

A neighborhood in the east central part of town was evacuated Saturday morning after Luverne Street construction crews hit a gas line with a skid loader.
According to Luverne Fire Chief Dave Van Batavia, the gas leak was detected around 10 a.m. and a two-block area of residents were evacuated from their homes.
Van Batavia described the leak as coming from a "high pressure line," so a significant amount of natural gas was escaping.
Emergency crews were on standby in case of an explosion while Minnegasco workers from Mankato were called to Luverne to repair the line.
Residents were allowed to return to their homes around 2 p.m.