RALEIGH, N.C. — The birth center at Rex Hospital had to be evacuated Tuesday after a construction crew ruptured a 4-inch gas line.

The construction crew was working on an office building adjacent to the Rex Birth Center at about 10:30 a.m. when the rupture occurred.

As a precaution, mothers, babies and staff at the birth center were evacuated to a nursery facility in the main hospital building during the gas leak.

"We started running to our windows looking and about that time, security came up and said, 'Get out. We got to evacuate the building right now," nurse Jan Fruchterman said.

Officials said there were 25 mothers in the birth center. No one was ready to deliver, but everyone had to get moving.

"We had patients undressed in rooms, so we had to run around and make sure they got dressed. get all of our patients out and get everybody out," Fruchterman said.

PSNC Energy crews repaired the gas leak shortly after 12:30 p.m. No one was injured as a result of the gas leak. Hospital officials say patients were never in danger, but nurses say they could still smell the remnants of gas.

The area around the Birth Center was briefly closed to cars and pedestrians.