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A woman who was forced to flee her St Clement apartment block due to a gas leak over the weekend has opened up about the “stressful” experience - and called for better communication from housing authorities in future.
Around 50 apartments in Le Clos Mourant were evacuated on Saturday after a smell of gas was reported by the public.
Residents were able to return to their homes on Sunday after further checks were carried out.
Nadia Sangster, a resident of the block, described the situation as "stressful" and criticised the "poor" communication from the housing provider Andium.
She said this left families confused and uncertain about what to do.
"The main issue was the complete lack of communication," Nadia said.
"We didn’t hear anything until around 19:00 and by then, I had to take my daughter to her grandparents' house to make sure she was fed and had somewhere to sleep."
The evacuation began at around 16:00, but residents received minimal guidance, according to Nadia.
Emergency services arrived and directed people to honorary police officers, who informed them only that there was a suspected gas leak.
Residents were told they could either go to the Good Companions Club, a charitable social centre for the over 55s, or find their own accommodation.
Nadia, who was making dinner when she first learned of the evacuation, explained: "When we got to the carpark, there were fire and police officers, but we still didn’t know what was going on."
The lack of clear information led her to take her daughter to a friend's house, as no updates were provided.
"We were left clueless, relying on social media to find out what was happening," she added. "But what about people who don't have social media?"
Nadia said her daughter was very worried about the situation, concerned about not being able to get back into their home, and worried about their pets being cared for.
She said that she struggled with knowing what to say to reassure her young child.
Nadia said: "Before we took my daughter to her friends, she was like, 'What am I gonna do?' She's like: 'Who's gonna feed the cats?' And we had literally no idea."
Residents were informed at 22:00 that they could return to their homes for five minutes to collect belongings and that hotel accommodation was available.
However, the timing of this offer was unhelpful for families with young children, according to Nadia.
"By the time they told us about the hotel, it was too late," Nadia said. "My child goes to bed at 19:00 and the late timing of the decision didn’t help."
She continued: "I didn’t hear from Andium Homes until the next morning.
"When we returned to our flat, we found a card from them saying they’d missed us.
"When they finally called, it was just to tell us to call Island Energy if we smelled smoke."
Nadia said that, if there is another situation like this, it is important that people feel reassured.
She said that residents should be kept informed every step of the way.
"My main issue is just the communication and how poor it is," she added.
If you smell gas or suspect a gas escape, call Island Energy’s 24 hour emergency line 01534 755555 immediately and follow the advice below:
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Pictured top: Le Clos Mourant. (Rob Currie)
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