The forklift behind the drama.

A forklift puncturing a gas line and a forklift propane leak has resulted in temporary closures in the vicinity of retail stores in Salisbury, Maryland and Lewisville, Texas.

An Ace Hardware employee operating a Cat forklift sheared a gas conduit in a roadway behind the store in Salisbury and caused a leak that required the evacuation of nearby buildings including a SuperFresh grocery store until safe air conditions returned, reports the Salisbury fire department. A crew from the Chesapeake Utilities Corporation repaired the damage.

Five employees and another person reported feeling ill-all went to hospital but no-one was in a serious condition-after a propane-powered forklift emitted carbon monoxide fumes inside an unoccupied unit at the Vista Ridge Mall, according to the Lewisville fire department. Officials evacuated customers and workers from a large portion of the two-storey mall until the fumes dissipated.