ANAHEIM, Calif. --
Nine people were hospitalized Tuesday after being exposed to ammonia leaking from a soda distribution center in Anaheim, and some 50 people who live near the facility awaited clearance to return to their homes, authorities said.
Hazmat crews were working this morning to plug the leak in the 1200 block of North Olive Street at a building housing a North Cal Beverage soda distribution center, said Anaheim Fire Department spokeswoman Maria Sabol. The leak was reported at 10:30 Monday night, she said.
A total of 17 people -- including eight treated at the scene -- experienced symptoms as a result of the accident, and 17 nearby homes were evacuated, she said.
Among the first to enter the building after the leak was reported were an Anaheim police officer and an Anaheim firefighter, and both were transported to hospitals after experiencing shortness of breath, headaches and sore throats, she said.
Seven people were walking through the area at the time of the leak and were also transported to hospitals, she said. Their medical conditions were not immediately reported.
Another person was at a nearby bowling alley when he began feeling symptoms, Sabol said. That victim was among those treated at the scene.
There are 30-40 homes in the half-square-mile-area where the leak occurred -- on Julianna Avenue and North Pat, East Commercial and North Olive streets -- and 17 of them were evacuated, Sabol said.
The occupants of the evacuated homes -- about 50 people -- were taken to Anaheim Community Center, which was being used as a shelter for the night, she said.
Most businesses near the soda distribution center businesses were closed for the night when the leak developed, she said.
Hazmat units from Anaheim and Santa Ana entered the building using Level A suits, which fully encapsulate their wearers and provide them with oxygen, Sabol said.
The hazmat units shut off four valves in the building early this morning and were searching for a fifth valve to stop the leak completely, she said.
Ammonia was being used in the building as part of the refrigeration system. What caused the accidental release was not immediately determined, she said.
