A gas leak in a pipe at a condemned building in Slatington forced 23 residents of seven neighboring homes to be evacuated.

The leak was discovered in the 600 block of Main Street at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. According to UGI spokeswoman Becky Eshbach, the area where the gas service comes out of the ground was damaged by an unknown third party, and that's what caused the leak. Authorities have yet to determine exactly how that damage occurred.She said the leak was reported via a 911 call. The Slatington fire department immediately arrived on scene and evacuated the nearby residents. UGI employees arrived a short time later andThe gas was shut off, stopping the leak, and the equipment was repaired. Eshbach said the residents were allowed to return to their homes by about 4 p.m.