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Amesbury firefighters stand by on Pond Street around noon Friday as gas workers prepared to shut off a ruptured gas pipe at the intersection of Pond and Dennett streets in Amesbury.

A construction crew accidentally ruptured a gas pipe at the intersection of Pond and Dennett streets in Amesbury around noon Friday. 

Amesbury firefighters stand by on Pond Street around noon Friday as gas workers prepared to shut off a ruptured gas pipe at the intersection of Pond and Dennett streets in Amesbury.

A construction crew accidentally ruptured a gas pipe at the intersection of Pond and Dennett streets in Amesbury around noon Friday. 

AMESBURY- Streets were closed and households evacuated after a construction crew ruptured a gas pipe near the intersection of Pond and Dennett streets around noon on Friday. 

Officials closed the immediate area to traffic and established headquarters in Vermettes parking lot. If it were not for the multitude of cruisers and fire engines at the scene it would have seemed like any other Friday. Officers turned around the few civilians who did attempt to walk or bike down the closed road.

Amesbury Acting Fire Chief Jim Nolan said the leak was the result of a contractor accidentally hitting an old, unmarked gas service. According to Nolan an estimated 12 houses were evacuated.

Three fire engines, National Grid officials, and multiple officers were present on the scene. At 12:30 p.m. members of the National Grid were able to secure clamps to the gas source and shut it off. At around 1 p.m. firefighters began clearing the scene. 

Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: mpetry@northofboston.com. 

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