Wisconsin apartment complex water pipe break causes sinkhole, prompts evacuations, gas fears

Cars are sumberged in a sinkhole at an apartment complex, Friday, Aug. 14, 2015, in Madison, Wis. About 300 residents of the complex were evacuated after a water pipe break created the sinkhole and potential gas leak. (Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

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Cars are engulfed in a sinkhole at an apartment complex Friday, Aug. 14, 2015, in Madison, Wis. About 300 residents of the complex were evacuated after a water pipe break created a sinkhole and potential gas leak. (Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

Vanessa Blackwell with her cat Skeddy, prepare to evacuated from their apartment complex after a water pipe break created a sinkhole and potential gas leak, Friday, Aug. 14, 2015, in Madison, Wis. About 300 residents of the complex were evacuated. (Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

MADISON, Wis. – About 300 residents have evacuated an apartment complex in Madison, Wisconsin, after a water pipe broke, causing gas leak concerns and creating a sinkhole that swallowed several vehicles.

Madison Fire Department spokeswoman Cynthia Schuster says emergency personnel were called to the River's Edge Apartments shortly before 5 a.m. Friday.

Schuster says the department is monitoring the complex for explosive gases and that water service has been turned off at all four buildings.

Several vehicles were submerged or partially submerged in the water-filled sinkhole.

The State Journal (http://bit.ly/1PcNeGb ) says residents were asked to leave two of the buildings in which the power was cut off.

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Information from: Wisconsin State Journal, http://www.madison.com/wsj