Japan Detergent Suicide Causes Panic

A Japanese man created a panic Thursday morning when he killed himself by mixing household cleaners and detergent – just the latest in a wave of suicides that have been sweeping the country.

More than 350 people were sickened and forced from their homes in Otaru when a 24-year old man mixed the household chemicals and died in his home. Neighbors, who could smell the toxic hydrogen sulfide fumes, waited in a nearby schoolyard for two hours before they could return home.

The man’s death came just hours after Japanese officials urged Internet providers to crack down on suicide Web sites that list recipes for mixing household cleaners.

Last month, a teenage girl in southwestern Japan used similar methods to take her own life, and more than 90 people in her apartment building became ill from the fumes.

The toxic hydrogen sulfide gas can lead to suffocation or brain damage, making it dangerous for rescuers or neighbors. The fumes are colorless, but easy to detect by a smell that is similar to rotten eggs.

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