BELTON (August 23, 2012)—Beall Hall was evacuated Thursday morning on the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor campus after a construction crew hit a natural gas line.
Many of the 81 residents of the women's dormitory already were in class, but police were not allowing anyone to return to the building.
A spokesman for the Belton Fire Department said at about 10 a.m. Thursday, a contractor who was moving some underground fiber line to make way for parking lot construction cut a 2-inch gas line and created the leak.
A loud hissing sound could be heard from some distance away as the natural gas escaped into the atmosphere.
The accident happened along Crusader Way on the north side of campus.
The line is the primary natural gas service for several homes just west of the area.
Belton firefighters remained at the scene while Atmos technicians repaired the leak to ensure the safety of the workers and the nearby homes.
