Cross Rd at Goodwood Rd, Winston Ave and East Ave closed after large gas leak, Cabra Dominican College will close on Tuesday

About 40 homes had to be evacuated – including those where six people with Covid were isolating – and Cabra College closed following a large gas leak. Cross Rd has since reopened.

Cabra Dominican College closed on Tuesday after a large gas leak forced dozens of residents from their homes and a major road to close at Cumberland Park.

An excavator struck the gas main at the corner of Cross Rd and Hill Ave about 12.45am Tuesday.

Residents along a 100m stretch of Cross Rd were quickly evacuated amid safety concerns.

They were forced to sleep in cars at a nearby shopping centre as firefighters worked to isolate the gas leak.

St Mary’s MFS station officer Graham Hughes said six Covid positive people were among those evacuated.

“There were a number of people who were Covid positive and we had to keep them away from the incident scene and away from all the work crews,” he said.

“SAPOL crews certainly performed that task very well and were able to keep us protected.”

Cross Rd was closed at the intersection of Goodwood Rd, Winston Ave and East Ave, from the early hours of Tuesday morning but reopened to traffic with one lane in each direction about 11am.

Speeds have been reduced to 25km/h and residents were able to return to their homes at that time.

Cross Rd is closed at the intersection of Goodwood Rd, East Ave and Winston Ave. Picture: Keryn Stevens

The road will be closed for most of Tuesday. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Residents from Cross Rd Picture: Keryn Stevens

A statement released by Cabra Dominican College on Tuesday morning said the school would be closed on Tuesday.

The statement from college principal Helen Riekie said parents should direct children to at home learning on Tuesday.

A staff member from the college told The Advertiser they were not notified until 7.30am via email, by which many had already departed for the campus.

The Cabra teacher said there were no officials onsite to advise students and staff of the situation.

“It was just a bunch of tradies that told me what was going on,” the teacher said.

Students who arrived by bus were turned away by workmen and requested to begin their journey home.

The school informed staff and students about 11.30am that it would reopen on Wednesday.

🚨🚨 Cross Road is closed between Goodwood Road and Winston Avenue #cumberlandpark after a major gas leak early this morning. The road is expected to be closed most of the day. Please avoid the area. 🚨🚨

— South Australia Police (@SAPoliceNews) February 14, 2022

The gas was being dispersed by groundwater monitors.

An MFS spokesman said early Tuesday it would be some time before the gas is shut off and supplies would be “significantly” restricted in the greater area for much of the day.

Dozens of residents were woken to police urging them to evacuate their homes in the early hours of Tuesday. Picture: Keryn Stevens

One man named Michael told morning radio he woke to a knock at the door from police about 1.30am.

“We were told to evacuate as quickly as possible, grab our gear and go,” Michael said.

“The smell of the gas near our home was impossible so we just got out of the suburb.

“It was really overpowering, it was so bad we just had to get out of there.”

@SA_MFS crews currently at a large gas leak at intersection of Cross Road and Hill Ave Cumberland Park. Cross Road has been closed to traffic in the area. Please avoid the area while gas crews repair the leak. Local residents within 100m evacuated by @SAPoliceNews.

— SA Metropolitan Fire (@SA_MFS) February 14, 2022

Michael said he had nowhere else to go so he, his wife and their dog sat in their car at the beach. They returned about 4.30am, but police told him there was no known timeline for the repair, and residents were still restricted from entering their homes.

Michael returned to the beach while others are congregating at the nearby Big W, he said.