Firefighters Fix Minor Gas Leak in Andorra Government Building

Firefighters repaired a minor gas leak from the air conditioning system in a first-floor office at the Government’s administrative building in Andorra la Vella’s Prat de la Creu area on Friday, 6 February, allowing staff and visitors to return progressively after an orderly evacuation.

The alarm sounded around 10am—shortly before 10.30am per some reports—triggering an automatic evacuation of workers and the public, including those in the busy Tràmits area. Everyone gathered at nearby Plaça Lídia Armengol as three fire units, including a ladder truck and an extinguishing vehicle, arrived alongside a police patrol and traffic officers. One lane on Prat de la Creu was closed briefly to support operations, with traffic agents regulating flow.

Initial speculation pointed to smoke or a general gas issue, but crews identified a small release of climate control gas from the ventilation circuit. Fire chief on duty Lluís Soldevila said the leak posed no significant risk. “There was no fire or explosion hazard; this gas is only flammable at very high concentrations, which was not the case here,” he explained. Teams used specialized fans to ventilate the affected office, opened first-floor windows, and collaborated with government maintenance staff on repairs.

The first floor stayed cleared temporarily, with fixes expected in under an hour. Second- and third-floor personnel returned first, followed by Tràmits users. No injuries occurred, though the incident caused brief confusion and concern among those inside and nearby. Authorities confirmed the matter resolved without further issues, describing it as a contained scare.