Firefighters evacuate buildings over massive gas leak in Prague

Update: The leak was successfully stopped, and traffic on the street was restored, according to a post by the fire department on X.

A massive gas leak in Prague’s Nusle district this morning brought Jaromírova Street to a standstill, forcing the evacuation of surrounding buildings and completely halting traffic, including public transit, city officials reported.

Firefighters, police, and other components of the integrated rescue system arrived at the scene to address the situation. The leak, described as “massive” by the fire department, occurred after an unidentified company damaged a gas pipeline during construction work.

Authorities warned that the restrictions are likely to last for several hours as the municipal gas utility, Pražská plynárenská prepares to repair the damage.

Firefighters are currently managing the site, coordinating with police on traffic restrictions and building evacuations, which must be completed before the gas company can begin repair work on the compromised pipeline.

The extensive closure of Jaromírova (Ulice) Street suspended all tram lines that run through Nusle. The Prague Transport Company stated that due to the police closure of the area, alternative transport measures could not be introduced, leaving commuters to find other routes.

Jan Srb, spokesman for Pražská plynárenská’s distribution division, confirmed to the Czech Press Agency that construction activity was the cause of the pipeline damage. The utility is currently assessing the extent of the gas outage restrictions that will be necessary to safely complete the repair.

In 2013 in Prague an explosion, caused by a natural gas leak in a downtown building near the National Theatre, resulted in 43 injuries and substantial damage to surrounding historic structures, despite causing no fatalities.