EAST CHICAGO | A two-block West Harbor stretch of Broadway reopened to traffic Friday afternoon after the completion of repairs to a breached natural gas pipeline.

Subcontractors for a telecommunications company installing fiber-optics cable pierced the 9-foot deep line Thursday afternoon, sparking the evacuation of homes and businesses over a five-block area, officials said.

Some 54 residents weathered the emergency at nearby Roberto Clemente Center, dining on sandwiches provided by St. Catherine Hospital, until the all-clear announcement was made at 10:15 p.m. Thursday.

"This is the type of occurrence we train for," said Herbie Cruz, the city's director of emergency management. "We got the call at 2:09, and by 2:22 we were implementing the emergency action plan."

Under the city's comprehensive emergency operations plan, no fewer than eight city departments -- and the Red Cross -- swung into action after fire inspectors declared the gas leak a hazardous materials incident, Cruz said.

While emergency management, police and fire responders secured the area, Health Department and Sanitary District staff checked for further hazards, and school and transit buses transported evacuees to the Clemente Center. The center is operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

"We tried to make everyone as comfortable as possible," Cruz said.

No injuries were reported in the incident, which still is under investigation pending the completion of incident reports from the various agencies and city departments involved in the emergency operation.