WORLD BRIEFING | ASIA; Japan: Suicides By Home Detergents
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 26, 2008
The police said four people in Tokyo and Yokohama had killed themselves Friday by inhaling hydrogen sulfide gas they produced by mixing detergent and a bath lotion. A wave of similar suicides has claimed at least 49 lives in April, according to a tally by Kyodo News. The authorities are alarmed by the sudden rise of cases using the gas, characterized by an odor similar to rotten eggs, because the chemicals are easy to get and the fumes can spread to affect bystanders or rescuers. When inhaled, the gas can lead to suffocation or brain damage. A fire department spokesman said the trend started from Internet sites. ''We haven't found an effective way to prevent it,'' he said.