Propane leak closes Killingworth intersection

KILLINGWORTH, Conn. (WTNH) -- A large propane leak that had closed an intersection and forced some to evacuate has been fixed.

Shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday, the the intersection of routes 80 and 81 was reopened. Officials have let everyone that was forced to evacuate return to their homes.

DEEP says that there was an issue with the vent pipe for a propane tank that services a small strip mall.

The leak was reported shortly before 2 p.m. and there was a mandatory evacuation for a 1-mile radius around the location of the leak.

A reverse 911 alert warned residents near the point of the leak to immediately leave their homes.

Power had been cut off from approximately 2000 residents in Killingworth and nearby Clinton and Madison. Power has since been returned to most of those customers.

At one point around 4:10 p.m. 1,339 Killingworth residents, or 47 percent of the town, was without power.

DEEP also says that the solution was to flare off the contents of the tank. This means that gas will be released and burned off in a "very controlled" manner. This process may take up to 48 hours.

No injuries were reported.