Dozens of people had to be evacuated from Market Square on Tuesday after a natural gas leak.

Fire crews, police and paramedics were called to the scene in uptown Saint John around 3:30 p.m.

Platoon Chief Brian Wilson said an excavator working in front of Market Square punctured a supply line.

“There was a release of natural gas into the hole and into that area,” Wilson said in a phone interview.

Market Square, which was the closest building to the leak, was evacuated until the situation was brought under control.

Wilson said crews were also prepared to evacuate a number of other nearby buildings, but that was not required.

“We did some gas testing in both the Hilton and City Hall and decided to shelter them in place. The wind was in our favour in those cases,” he said.

Officials from Liberty Utilities arrived and pinched off the line to stop the flow of natural gas, said Wilson, adding that fire crews were on the scene for about 45 minutes.

St. Patrick Street and Water Street were closed to traffic but reopened before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to Saint John police.

There were no injuries reported during the incident, said Wilson.