Sulfuric Acid Leak at Phone Center Halts 213 Area Operator Assistance

A sulfuric acid leak at a Pacific Bell office in Alhambra forced the evacuation of 55 workers early Sunday, shutting down operator assistance service in much of Los Angeles for about two hours, officials said.

Five operators who complained of breathing problems and nausea were treated at a hospital and released.

Alhambra police said workers at the Pacific Bell office at 21 S. 1st St. called authorities about midnight to report a sickening smell in the building. Firefighters suspected that the fumes, which smelled like rotten eggs, came from several batteries used for backup electrical power in the building, but the exact source of the leak was not found.

The telephone company bused its operators to an office in Culver City, where they started answering assistance calls about 2:15 a.m.

The 40 operators assigned to Alhambra handle all calls at night for operator assistance in the 213 area code and about 10% of the assistance calls in the 818 area code. Directory assistance and direct-dial service were not affected by the incident, according to a Pacific Bell spokeswoman. Employees were allowed to return to the building about 3 a.m.