Residents are being evacuated after a natural gas main break in suburban Elk Grove Village, officials said Friday.
The break, which is sending natural gas spewing from an underground pipe, has forced evacuations near the intersection of Essex Road and Carlisle Avenue, according to the fire department.
Residents are being evacuated from homes along Essex Road, and authorities expect the incident to last for at least four hours, if not more.
Officials say that the leak was caused when a worker repairing a water main accidentally hit the four-inch gas pipe, causing it to release gas.
Residents were told to evacuate from their homes along the street, but were told not to start their cars for fear of igniting the gas that had already leaked from the pipe.
Officials from the gas company are saying that they hope to get the gas leak stopped by this evening, and that they hope to restore service by tomorrow morning.
Traffic is being diverted around the scene, and residents are being asked to avoid the area.