HATTIESBURG – A leak from a gas line that was breached today during work at the construction site of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Trent Lott Center for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, located off of U.S. Highway 49, has been stopped.

An area of 150 feet around the site was secured for safety purposes. Three residence halls were safely evacuated following the line breach, including Wilbur (Panhellenic), Roberts and Jones. Students are now being allowed back into these residence halls, and classes are continuing safely on campus.

Students who were evacuated may be late or miss class; we ask for faculty understanding of this situation.

Wilmut Gas Company in Hattiesburg and the Hattiesburg Fire Department are at the site assisting at present. Traffic is being re-routed away from the secured area.

The Southern Miss Department of Marketing and Public Relations will provide updates on this situation. All media calls should come through the department’s main number 601.266.4491.