Officials say natural gas escaping from an underground storage field in rural southwestern Indiana has prompted the evacuation of some nearby homes and the closure of a state highway.
Citizens Energy Group spokesman Dan Considine says a well drawing gas from the storage area near the Greene County town of Worthington failed during maintenance work Tuesday evening. He says high-pressure gas was expected to keep escaping through Wednesday but no fire or injuries had occurred.
Considine says seven nearby homes were evacuated and Indiana 67 was temporarily closed to traffic as a precaution. Electricity was also shut off to about 50 homes in the area.
Considine says the Indianapolis-based utility isn't sure how much gas was in the storage area, but that its loss won't impact gas service to customers.