‘Major’ natural gas leak prompts evacuations in Kendall Square

CAMBRIDGE — Eleven buildings were evacuated in Kendall Square Friday morning, disrupting the workday routine for thousands of people, as officials scrambled to shut down a gas main that had been accidentally punctured by a contractor operating heavy equipment.

“The leak was caused by a contractor digging into a gas line,’’ Eversource spokesman Michael Durand said.

Cambridge Assistant Fire Chief Thomas Cahill told reporters at the scene around 10:30 a.m. that as many as 5,000 people had been evacuated. The affected buildings included residences, businesses, and day care facilities, Cahill said. No one was hurt.

He said a high-pressure gas main had been breached by a contractor working adjacent to 100 Binney St.

“Any time you have construction, there’s always a possibility of any type of incident occurring,’’ Cahill said. “The gas lines were marked, and it was an accident.’’

However, he said, “An incident of this scope is not common.’’

Cahill said the evacuated buildings farthest away from the break could soon be cleared for people to re-enter.

Four of the buildings were being reopened, police and fire officials said shortly after 11 a.m., but seven still remained closed.

Buildings closer to the break might not be cleared for two to three hours, Cahill said. He said firefighters were going from building to building to check gas readings to make sure they were safe.

There had been odors and elevated gas readings in all 11 buildings, he said. “The gas permeated up to 11 buildings,’’ he said. “People smelled the gas and began evacuating,’’ even before firefighters arrived.

Cahill said there was “no confirmed explosion.’’

“We pushed everybody into a safe area,’’ Cahill said. “We just wanted to get them out of the hazardous area.’’

Duran, the Eversource spokesman, said the gas had escaped into the atmosphere. “In a situation like this, what you want to have happen is exactly what happened,’’ he said.

Duran said the contractor, A.A. Wills Materials, was doing “sidewalk work.’’

Eversource was first notified of the incident around 8:25 a.m. Workers shut down two valves, at the intersections of Linskey Way and Second and Third streets, and the gas was off by 9:25 a.m., according to Durand.

Eversource crews were working to replace the broken line, he said.

Durand said that one building on Third Street between Linskey Way and Binney Street is without gas service. He estimated it would take Eversource crews around four hours to repair the leak and restore service to the building.

During the evacuation, hundreds of bewildered employees of businesses in the area, stood on the street as television helicopters hovered in the sky.

Erma Caro, 53, of Revere, sat on the curb on Third Street and said she was heading into the Watermark building Friday morning for work but could not get in because of the evacuations.

“I came and I saw all the people,’’ Caro said, adding that she was unsure when she would be allowed in to her workplace.

Ronald Silva, 40, of Brighton, a Watermark custodian, said alarms had sounded in the building to get everyone out.

“It’s very stress[ful], because we have a lot of work to do inside,’’ Silva said.

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