Menu
11/07/2008
City Centre Gas Alert Follows Irish Hospital Evacuation
Just hours after the evacuation of patients and staff in a Kilkenny hospital - following a reported gas leak on Thursday morning - part of Belfast city centre was also sealed off in a similar incident.
A total of 28 patients and staff at the Department of Psychiatry in St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny had to be evacuated and taken to St Canice's Hospital after Bord Gáis officials and fire brigade crews were called to the scene.
The Irish Health Service Executive said builders working at the site are thought to have hit a gas pipe between the hospital and a housing estate shortly after 9am.
The evacuated patients were able to return to the hospital later the same day, but the affected wards were closed to visitors and outpatient appointments cancelled for the whole of Thursday afternoon.
However, all essential surgery, which had been postponed earlier in the day, resumed later with an HSE spokesman insisting that the hospital was functioning relatively normally by mid afternoon.
Meanwhile, a gas leak in Belfast city centre has led to a similar evacuation of nearby businesses.
It is understood workmen cut through a pipe in Bedford Street early on Thursday afternoon.
A Phoenix Natural Gas spokesperson said a third-party contractor had damaged the supply.
Workers were told to move for their own safety as levels of gas in the area increased. Engineers were called to the scene to repair the damage.
(BMcC)
A total of 28 patients and staff at the Department of Psychiatry in St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny had to be evacuated and taken to St Canice's Hospital after Bord Gáis officials and fire brigade crews were called to the scene.
The Irish Health Service Executive said builders working at the site are thought to have hit a gas pipe between the hospital and a housing estate shortly after 9am.
The evacuated patients were able to return to the hospital later the same day, but the affected wards were closed to visitors and outpatient appointments cancelled for the whole of Thursday afternoon.
However, all essential surgery, which had been postponed earlier in the day, resumed later with an HSE spokesman insisting that the hospital was functioning relatively normally by mid afternoon.
Meanwhile, a gas leak in Belfast city centre has led to a similar evacuation of nearby businesses.
It is understood workmen cut through a pipe in Bedford Street early on Thursday afternoon.
A Phoenix Natural Gas spokesperson said a third-party contractor had damaged the supply.
Workers were told to move for their own safety as levels of gas in the area increased. Engineers were called to the scene to repair the damage.
(BMcC)
Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.
02 October 2024
Health Minister Unveils Hospital Reconfiguration Framework
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has launched a new framework aimed at reconfiguring hospitals across Northern Ireland to create a more sustainable and efficient network of care. The document, titled 'Hospitals – Creating a Network for Better Outcomes', outlines the key principles that will guide the reorganisation of hospital services.
Health Minister Unveils Hospital Reconfiguration Framework
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has launched a new framework aimed at reconfiguring hospitals across Northern Ireland to create a more sustainable and efficient network of care. The document, titled 'Hospitals – Creating a Network for Better Outcomes', outlines the key principles that will guide the reorganisation of hospital services.
18 October 2012
Gas Storage To Be Built Under Lough
A £440m gas storage facility is to be built a mile underneath Larne Lough. The development will enable 500m cubic metres of natural gas to be stored in caverns underneath the lough. The new bank will be able to hold enough gas to provide energy for Northern Ireland for sixty days.
Gas Storage To Be Built Under Lough
A £440m gas storage facility is to be built a mile underneath Larne Lough. The development will enable 500m cubic metres of natural gas to be stored in caverns underneath the lough. The new bank will be able to hold enough gas to provide energy for Northern Ireland for sixty days.
21 November 2024
Work Underway For Free Hospital Parking In Northern Ireland
Work has begun at several hospital sites across Northern Ireland as part of the preparations for the introduction of free car parking in May 2026. Health and Social Care Trusts have been actively preparing for the implementation of a new traffic management system since the Hospital Parking Charges Act was passed in 2022.
Work Underway For Free Hospital Parking In Northern Ireland
Work has begun at several hospital sites across Northern Ireland as part of the preparations for the introduction of free car parking in May 2026. Health and Social Care Trusts have been actively preparing for the implementation of a new traffic management system since the Hospital Parking Charges Act was passed in 2022.
20 November 2024
Other News In Brief
Alliance Calls For 'Immediate And Decisive' Action On Child Hunger The Alliance Party has called for "immediate and decisive" action to address the growing crisis of child hunger in Northern Ireland.
Other News In Brief
Alliance Calls For 'Immediate And Decisive' Action On Child Hunger The Alliance Party has called for "immediate and decisive" action to address the growing crisis of child hunger in Northern Ireland.
13 May 2008
Undersea Gas Storage Plan Revealed
Imaginative plans to store natural gas deep under Larne Lough look set to go ahead. If test bores carried out by two energy companies are successful, Northern Ireland Energy Holdings and Portland Gas hope to start storing gas there within a few years if their tests show the area to be suitable.
Undersea Gas Storage Plan Revealed
Imaginative plans to store natural gas deep under Larne Lough look set to go ahead. If test bores carried out by two energy companies are successful, Northern Ireland Energy Holdings and Portland Gas hope to start storing gas there within a few years if their tests show the area to be suitable.
-
Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A showery start with outbreaks most frequent north of Lough Neagh and through the morning, before dwindling during the afternoon as the northwest breezes ease and brighter spells of weak sunshine prosper. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A dry night, save for a few light showers around the coasts, with prolonged clear spells and light winds bringing a frosty dawn for many in central and southern parts. Minimum temperature -3 °C.
