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Gas Leak Forces Evacuation of Hell's Kitchen Apartment Building: Con Ed

By  William Mathis and Ben Fractenberg | March 7, 2016 6:31pm 

 A gas leak at 743 Ninth Ave. forced between 17 and 20 tenants to evacuate the 5-story building for about 50 minutes March 7, 2016.
A gas leak at 743 Ninth Ave. forced between 17 and 20 tenants to evacuate the 5-story building for about 50 minutes March 7, 2016.
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DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg

HELL'S KITCHEN — A gas leak in an apartment building on Ninth Avenue forced tenants to evacuate Monday evening, Con Ed said.

Fire officials responded to the call at 5:24 p.m. about a possible gas leak at a 5-story building at 743 Ninth Ave., a spokesman for the FDNY said.

Between 17 and 20 tenants were evacuated for about 50 minutes, a Con Ed spokesperson said. 

The gas company found the source of the leak was inside the building and turned off the gas at the curb valve.

Tenants of the building said they have complained to the building manager about a gas smell on multiple occasions in the past, though they were not able to say when that occurred. 

The building owner must now make arrangements to have a plumber inspect the source of the leak before crews can turn the gas back on, Con Ed said.

Workers at Nica and Sam Hair Salon on the ground floor of 742 Ninth Ave. told DNAinfo they first smelled the gas while workers were repairing the building's boiler earlier in the day.