RAF ALCONBURY, England — Several buildings were evacuated and power was cut to part of RAF Alconbury on Friday when construction workers accidentally punctured a natural gas line while performing maintenance work, base officials said.

The accident occurred at around 10 a.m. when workers digging with a backhoe near the base’s bowling alley hit the line, causing a rupture, said Col. J.R. Smith, vice commander of the 501st Combat Support Wing, which provides oversight to remote Air Force bases in England.

A cordon was immediately placed around the leak and several nearby buildings were evacuated for safety, but the leak did not present a serious danger, Smith said.

An electrical main buried next to the gas line was shut down for several hours while the pipe was repaired, according to public affairs officer Staff Sgt. Christopher Stagner.

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