PGW fixing Tacony gas leak

Philadelphia Gas Works employees are working to fix a natural gas leak today on Torresdale Avenue in the Tacony section, which isn't far from the scene of a major gas main explosion that killed a utility worker and injured six others this month.

PGW spokesman Cameron Kline said the leak is in a 6-inch gas line on Torresdale Avenue.

"Right now, the area is safe and we have no customers who are currently out of service," he said. "This is not a unique situation. This is a simple fix on which we are working on right now."

Kline said the Philadelphia Fire Department called PGW around 9 a.m. about a natural gas odor near Torresdale and Tyson avenues and a church was briefly evacuated, Kline said.

Authorities evacuated five people from the church on the 7000 block of Torresdale, said Executive Fire Chief Daniel Williams. People were later allowed back into the building and no other residents were evacuated.

A main thoroughfare was also closed to traffic as a precaution but was later reopened.

The Jan. 18 natural gas explosion on the 6900 block of Torresdale occurred around 8:30 p.m. when a 12-inch gas main exploded. Mark Keeley, a 19-year-old PGW employee, was killed in the explosion.