OAKLAND — PG&E crews stopped the natural gas leaking from a broken pipe near Lake Merritt on Thursday, said Brian Swanson, a spokesman for the utility. Most of the streets around Merritt Bakery were reopened by 6 p.m. and the evacuation was lifted, allowing about 60 people to return to their homes and businesses.

PG&E workers drilled into the street to install a temporary shut-off valve after a private company apparently cut through the 4-inch gas pipe, mistaking it for a phone line, Oakland fire Batallion Chief Emon Usher said.

PG&E crews were expected to remain on the scene late into the evening making permanent repairs.

The break occurred about 1:30 p.m. near East 18th Street and Athol Avenue, across the street from Merritt Bakery. The entry point was just a few feet from the Lakeview Court complex at 90 Athol Ave.

The crews immediately smelled an odor similar to rotten eggs, signaling the presence of natural gas, and called PG&E, Swanson said. The Oakland Fire Department evacuated residents of the apartments on the top floor and a chiropractic clinic on the ground floor. Firefighters also shut off gas and electricity to the building.

A thrift store and the Metropolitan Bank in the 200 block of East 18th Street and an apartment complex in the 100 block of Athol Avenue also were evacuated. About 60 people had to leave the buildings.

Police had blocked off part of the area. Firefighters were ready with hoses in case of fire. Police officers were asking people who were smoking cigarettes to put them out.

Since the inferno in San Bruno, Swanson said, “awareness is up not just in our service area but across the nation.”

He encouraged customers to call the PG&E hot line, 800-743-5000, if they smell natural gas.