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Gas leak prompts Oulu shopping centre evacuation

Rescue services say a propane leak triggered by servicing caused the building to be emptied. No one is believed to have been harmed in the incident.

Ihmisiä Oulun valkean kauppakeskuksen kahvilaterassilla.
Oulu's Valkea shopping centre Image: Risto Degerman / Yle
  • Yle News

The Valkea shopping complex in the northwest coastal city of Oulu was evacuated on Saturday after a dangerous gas leak on the premises.

Oulu's rescue services say that the food court's centralized liquefied petroleum gas station was being serviced, when some valves were inadvertently left open. This caused the gas to leak into the mall.

The scent of the powerful odorant added to the gas alerted people to the danger and a call was put into rescue service personnel at 2:38pm.

The authorities say that the building was completed evacuated and is now being carefully ventilated.

Although several fire trucks and EMT teams were dispatched to the location, rescue services personnel say that, so far, it appears as if no one was harmed by the incident.

This story was first reported by the tabloid Ilta-Sanomat.