Teenage girl gasses self to death with hydrogen sulfide, local residents flee

The Mainichi Shimbun
April 24, 2008
Source: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080424p2a00m0na002000c.html

KONAN, Kochi -- A teenage girl fatally gassed herself by generating toxic hydrogen sulfide at her home here, forcing dozens of residents in the neighborhood to flee their homes, police said.

Her death follows a spate of incidents in which people mixed detergent to produce hydrogen sulfide to kill themselves.

At around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, a 14-year-old, third-year girl at a public junior high school died of alleged hydrogen sulfide poisoning in her room inside a municipal housing complex in Konan, local police said.

A note saying, "Gas being generated," was found on the front door of her home, leading investigators to suspect that she committed suicide by producing hydrogen sulfide.

A local resident who attempted to rescue her temporarily fell unconscious after inhaling the toxic gas, and up to 80 residents in the neighborhood fled their homes and temporarily took shelter at a nearby gymnasium. About 10 of them fell ill and received treatment at a local hospital.

(Mainichi Japan) April 24, 2008

14-year-old girl dies, 70 sickened in apparent inhaling of hydrogen sulfide

Japan Today
Thursday 24th April, 05:04 AM JST
Source: http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/14-year-old-girl-dies-70-sickened-in-apparent-inhaling-of-hydrogen-sulfide

KOCHI — A 14-year-old girl died and about 70 others were sickened Wednesday night in Konan City, Kochi Prefecture after they apparently inhaled hydrogen sulfide, local police said. Police suspect the girl may have committed suicide at her home in a five-story condominium in the city as a note posted on the front door of her home referred to ‘‘gas’’ being emitted.

Residents in the neighborhood reported to firefighters at around 7:30 p.m. that there was a strange odor near the condominium. The girl was later found dead in her home on the third floor of the condo. Inside the room where she was found dead was a detergent bottle.

Police said three people, including a woman believed to be the girl’s mother, 38, were hospitalized.

About 70 people were taken to hospitals after complaining of sore throat and other symptoms. A hospital in Kochi city that was treating 10 of them said their conditions are not serious.

A strange odor that lingers in and around the condominium barred police from accessing the scene. A full-fledged investigation is set for Thursday morning.

The condo is located about 2 kilometers north of Kagami Station on Tosa-Kuroshio Railway line.

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