What you need to know: • The leak began at around 7:45 a.m. Friday, near Notre-Dame and Bonsecours Sts. • As a precaution, 2,200 addresses had their power cut and many residents were evacuated from their homes.

Parts of Old Montreal went dark Friday morning after a major gas leak forced residents from their homes and shuttered nearby businesses.

It began around 7:45 a.m. at the corner of Notre-Dame and Bonsecours Sts., near City Hall.

Dozens of firefighters were dispatched to the scene as authorities cordoned off several blocks.

Electricity was shut off as a precaution across a wide area, with Hydro-Québec warning that service might not be fully restored until later in the day.

Around 2,200 addresses were without power by mid-morning, according to Hydro-Québec spokesperson Lynn St

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