Residents of a central Dunedin apartment complex got a cold start early this morning, evacuated after a vehicle crashed into the building and rupturing a gas main.
A police spokeswoman said officers were called to Cumberland St at 4.45am after the man crashed into the building.
A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said nobody was trapped in the vehicle but the building had to be cleared.
Emergency services at the scene were working alongside other agencies, including the gas authority to isolate the gas.
Traffic management was in place and part of Cumberland St was blocked.
About 40 residents were evacuated from the building, he said.
‘‘From what I understand, I think it all really kicked off at 4.30am but they didn’t realise there was an apartment building tucked away here.
‘‘It wasn't until my flatmate got up and was standing in the window that they saw her and then obviously came over and evacuated the whole building."
While he was looking forward to a Saturday sleep in, that would just have to wait for another weekend, he said.
Residents were allowed back into their homes about 6.45am.
