Natural Gas Leak From Severed Line Empties Law Center
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Natural gas leaking from a severed line forced the evacuation Wednesday of about 2,200 people from law offices and the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach, authorities said.
A worker for Hood Communications inadvertently cut into the line around 1 p.m. when he was operating a backhoe during installation of a telephone line conduit, said Denise King of Southern California Gas Co. The leak was under control by about 3 p.m. and repairs were underway, King said.
The odor of gas prompted the evacuation of the offices and the courthouse, officials said. Personnel were allowed to reenter shortly after 2:30 p.m., but the presiding judge ordered the building closed for the rest of the day, said Capt. Steve Harding of the Orange County Marshal’s Office.
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