MUMBAI: A major gas leak triggered panic in Dadar West on Friday evening after a Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) pipeline was accidentally ruptured during excavation work near Portuguese Church, prompting authorities to temporarily shut traffic and suspend gas supply in the area as a precautionary measure.Mumbai, India. May 29, 2026 - A Mahanagar Gas Limited gas pipeline leak occurred during tree-cutting near Anugraha Hotel on Gokhale Road in Dadar. Mumbai, India. May 29, 2026. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)The incident occurred around 6.05pm on Gokhale Road near Mejwani Restaurant when a JCB machine engaged in removing the roots of a fallen tree allegedly struck an underground gas pipeline. Dramatic visuals from the spot showed gas shooting several feet into the air, resembling water jets erupting from a burst pipeline and drawing large crowds of onlookers.Teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, MGL, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai Traffic Police rushed to the site and cordoned off the area to prevent any untoward incident. The leak was brought under control within about 30 minutes after MGL personnel reached the spot and shut the valves.MGL officials attributed the rupture to the excavation activity being carried out between the road and the footpath.“The JCB was trying to excavate the roots of a fallen tree between the footpath and the road when this incident took place,” local corporator Yeshwant Killedar told HT.Killedar said that while the fire brigade reached the location quickly, the MGL team faced delays due to heavy traffic.“The MGL officials got delayed in reaching the spot as they were caught in traffic, which delayed the process. The fire brigade team did arrive early, but they could not resolve the issue. As soon as the MGL team arrived, they managed to shut the valves and plug the leak within no time,” he said.As a safety measure, authorities temporarily closed the stretch between Shivaji Park and Portuguese Church for vehicular movement while emergency operations were underway.According to the Mumbai Traffic Police, traffic on Gokhale Marg near Amarhind Mandal was halted and diverted for approximately 25 minutes from around 7.30pm. Vehicles coming from Steel Man junction were diverted towards Paneri and Chaityabhumi.“There was no traffic jam reported as the diversion was made within minutes of the gas leak,” said Deepali Dhate, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Traffic).In a statement, MGL said gas supply in the vicinity was temporarily suspended to facilitate repair work and ensure public safety.“The gas supply in the vicinity has been temporarily stopped as a safety precaution to carry out the rectification work. The affected customers are being informed about the temporary stoppage,” the company said.Killedar said gas supply to nearby residential and commercial establishments was restored roughly two hours after the incident, though MGL personnel continued repair and inspection work at the site late into the night.Police, civic authorities and MGL officials have launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the pipeline rupture and to assess whether established safety protocols were followed during the excavation work.