RIGA, Nov 22 (LETA) - Residents evacuated after a gas leak in Bauska are now returning home, Bauska Region Council informed LETA.

Gas concentration in the air at 5 Hospital Street has decreased and people have been allowed to return to their homes.

The intersection of Hospital Street and Darza Street is temporarily closed to traffic, the municipality said. Specialists from Gaso natural gas distribution system operator and Bauska Municipal Police officers are working at the scene.

As reported, a school, a residential house and a few public buildings in the central Latvian town of Bauska were evacuated because of a possible gas leak on Friday, LETA was told at the State Fire and Rescue Service.

Shortly after noon, the fire service received information that the smell of gas could be felt in the air in Darza Street. The rescuers who arrived at the scene found that what might be natural gas was leaking from under the ground.

After assessing the gas concentration and wind direction, the decision was taken to evacuate people 100 meters downwind - from a nearby school, public buildings and a residential house.

A total of 825 people were evacuated.

As Gaso representatives told LETA, the emergency service had received several calls about the smell of gas in the area of Darza, Salatu and Riga Streets. As they arrived at the scene the rescuers found that gas was seeping from underground utility wells. The area was disconnected from gas supply.