Hawick gas leak leaves pensioner dead An elderly woman has died and houses evacuated following a gas leak in the Borders town of Hawick. Ten people from nine nearby properties in the Fairhurst Drive area of Hawick, Roxburghshire, were also evacuated after reporting a strong smell of gas from the two-storey terraced flat. The emergency services were called to the town's Burnfoot housing estate around 1.15 pm, but the 79-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Firefighters set up a cordon while gas engineers worked to make the area safe. Neighbours said the pensioner's cooker was being inspected as part of the investigation, but the exact cause of the woman's death has yet to be established. The investigation will centre on whether she was overcome by fumes from a gas leak or whether she died from natural causes while in her kitchen. One man, who lives nearby, said: "A cordon was placed around the flat and people living in surrounding properties were evacuated. There was a strong smell of gas in the area and the elderly lady was found inside her flat but they could not revive her. Everyone around here is shocked at what has happened. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service confirmed a crew was asked to attend the scene to evacuate the area. She said: "They isolated the supply and a cordon was set up. The crew were on the scene for two hours before leaving the matter with the police. An investigation is ongoing into the cause of one fatality in one of the properties. A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: "An elderly lady was found dead within a property in Fairhurst Drive. Inquiries are at an early age and identification is being withheld until next of kin have been informed. The matter is under investigation and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal. She added that the exact cause of death was continuing to be investigated. A Scotia Gas Networks spokeswoman said: "We were called out to a property in Hawick this afternoon by the emergency services. We were on site at 1.39pm and we capped off the internal supply at the gas meter. The Scottish Ambulance Service said it had attended a house where a patient had a medical condition.