UK Alert: Gas leak at White Hall causes evacuation

Students+gathered+outside+White+Hall+Classroom+Building+after+evacuating+due+to+a+gas+leak+on+the+afternoon+of+Tuesday%2C+Nov.+7%2C+2017.%C2%A0Madison+Rexroat+%7C+STAFF

Students gathered outside White Hall Classroom Building after evacuating due to a gas leak on the afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017. Madison Rexroat | STAFF

News Staff

A gas leak occurred at White Hall Classroom Building on Tuesday afternoon, according to a UK Alert around 2:37 p.m.

The building was evacuated, and the Lexington Fire Department was on the scene. A Columbia Gas truck was also at the scene. 

At 3:28p.m., UK Alert said the emergency condition had passed.

UK spokesman, Jay Blanton said the cause of the leak is unknown. 

The Lexington Fire Department and Columbia Gas said there is no risk. The UK Physical Plant Division said that no natural gas runs to White Hall. 

Savon Gray, a senior jounalism major, was in White Hall when the leak was first detected.

“It was kind of faint at first,” Gray said. “It smelled like gas. But not like gasoline; just a weird gassy smell.”

Gray said he eventually began to get a headache from the smell. He said UK employees came and told the class that diesel exhaust was leaking into the classroom.

Gray’s class, taught by Professor Kakie Urch, left White Hall and resumed in the hallway of the Grehan Journalism building.