Two buildings, including a synagogue, were evacuated in lower Manhattan Thursday evening as authorities worked to locate a gas leak.
Firefighters were called to Tribeca Synagogue on White Street, where they immediately registered very strong gas readings inside the building.
Area buildings were evacuated as Con Edison worked to locate the source of the leak. It was eventually found on the street outside of the synagogue, and the gas main was sealed, fire officials on scene said.
A neighbor told NBC 4 New York he smelled gas intermittently before firefighters knocked on his door and instructed him to leave.
"A lot of people were in the street and most folks were quite anxious," he said.
After the gas leak was located and capped, people were allowed back into their buildings. The street remained closed to traffic as Con Edison crews worked on repairing the pipe.
The Tribeca Synagogue was designed in 1967 by architect William N. Breger. A New York Times article published in May 2015 said "its facade curves like a grand piano soundboard, floating over a small plaza named in Mr. Breger's honor."
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"People know us for that," synagogue president Avram S. Turkel told the Times. "They come in the middle of the day just to see the building."
