THE Andersonstown Road came to a standstill on Tuesday morning after damage was caused to a gas pipe.
It is understood a gas line at the currently under construction Andersonstown Leisure Centre site was struck just after 9.30am. The area from lower Casement Park to the Bengal Spice Indian restaurant remains cordoned off as traffic diverted to side roads to pass the affected area.
Local Sinn Féin Councillor Arder Carson praised the swift reaction of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. “The contractor on site responded very quickly to the damage caused and we will find out what happened once an investigation comes to its conclusion,” he said. “Thankfully no-one was hurt this morning and no damage was caused to the leisure centre. This is a construction site at the minute and due to being in a built-up area there are added concerns about what happened this morning. We are lucky no-one was hurt and the NIFS were at the scene quickly as well.”
A spokesperson for Phoenix Natural Gas said: “Phoenix Natural Gas are currently on site responding to an incident on the Andersonstown Road, Belfast, after being notified of damage to the Phoenix Natural Gas pipeline in the area. The damage incurred was due to the actions of a third party contractor and was not in any way caused by or related to the operations or conduct of Phoenix Natural Gas.
“Emergency services have responded to the incident, as per safety protocol, and Phoenix Natural Gas engineers continue to work in this area. The Andersonstown Road is currently closed in both directions whilst remedial work is being carried out.”