Emergency services are continuing to search for the source of a possible gas leak in Dublin city.
Earlier Westmoreland St was sealed off while the search between O'Connell St and Temple bar got under way.
Dublin Fire Brigade, Bord Gais, Dublin Corporation and gardaí are involved in the security operation.
The Chief Fire Officer at the scene told ireland.comthat they were concentrating their search on sewers in the area.
He said that they were looking at a possible gas leak as the cause of the smell, or it could be a case of petrol being poured into the sewer system.
Earlier a strong smell of what was believed to be gas was detected in buildings on Westmoreland St. The street has now been reopened but Fleet St has been closed and some buildings in the area have been evacuated.
