UPDATE: 11:40 a.m.

Residents are being allowed back into their homes.

UPDATE: 11:15 a.m.

Fortis crews now have the gas line shut off.

Crews are continuing to monitor gas levels in the area.

UPDATE: 11:05 a.m.

Police at the scene say a contractor working for the City of Kelowna struck the gas line on Ethel Street this morning.

The leak forced the closure of Ethel Street and one lane of northbound traffic on Highway 97.

A police spokesman said fire crews were taking gas readings in low-lying areas, such as parkades, to determine if more evacuations were necessary.

About 40-50 people were evacuated as a precautionary measure. No one was hurt.

WorkSafeBC is expected to investigate the incident.

UPDATE: 10:40 a.m.

Construction work was happening on Ethel Street where the gas line was breached.

Fortis crews are working to seal off the line.

UPDATE: 10:32 a.m.

FortisBC crews are now on scene.

The building at 1720 Ethel Street has been fully evacuated.

UPDATE: 10:23 a.m.

More buildings are being evacuated in the vicinity of the gas leak.

Emergency crews have pulled the alarms and are clearing apartments at 1720 Ethel St., directly across the street from Copperstone Gate.

UPDATE: 10:13 a.m.

First responders now have the entire building evacuated at Copperstone Gate.

The complex is located at the intersection of Highway 97 and Ethel Street.

ORIGINAL: 10:05 a.m.

An apartment building is being evacuated due to a gas main break in Kelowna.

Firefighters are clearing the Copperstone Gate complex at 933 Harvey Avenue.

Castanet has a reporter heading to the scene and will update with more details.

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