GAS LEAK: Ruptured Gas Line Causes Evacuations

Firefighters evacuated three garden style apartment buildings this afternoon after a gas line was struck, officials said.

The 3/4-inch line ruptured in front of 333 West Side Drive, according to Capt. Oscar Garcia, a spokesman for the County Fire and Rescue Service.

Buildings 333, 335 and 337 were evacuated as a precautionary measure, he said.

Washington Gas officials had arrived on scene by 2:15 and were working to shut off the flow of gas.

About 45 firefighters responded to the apartment complex, which is across the street from the National Institutes of Standards and Technology campus and next to the Festival Shopping Center.