Waterloo gas leak: Road closure and bus diversions in place after hundreds evacuated

A major gas leak in Waterloo led to the evacuation of 600 people and significant travel disruption .A large section of Waterloo Road was shut down at around 2.20pm on Monday after an 18-inch gas main was ruptured in the roadway on The Cut.Firefighters from Dowgate, Lambeth and Euston fire stations attended the scene, shutting down the section of Waterloo Road between The Cut and Baylis Road to the north and Gray Street to the south, including the Old Vic Theatre, to allow emergency inspections to take place.As a result, a cordon was set up and around 400 office workers and 200 people from the theatre were evacuated as a precaution, according to the London Fire Brigade (LFB).The brigade confirmed the incident was over by around 8pm - but a TfL spokesperson confirmed that the closure was still in place on Tuesday morning and would remain so until later in the day. Motorists and pedestrians have been asked to avoid the area, and the closure has also affected bus routes 1, 68, 172, 176, 188, BL1, C10, and SL6.SGN, who looks after the gas network in the south of England, has confirmed that they are carrying out emergency repairs.