California hotel evacuated after woman commits suicide with toxic chemical
A historic hotel and social club in California had to be evacuated on Tuesday after a resident used a toxic chemical to commit suicide in her room.
Ethell Wilson, 80, used sodium azide to kill herself in her apartment on the third floor of the Berkeley City Club.
According to the Washington Post, Ms Wilson left a note warning authorities of the dangerous situation outside her apartment, and a bomb squad and hazardous materials crews were sent to the scene.
Sodium azide becomes a toxic gas when mixed with water.
Sgt Okies BPD Sergeant Joe Okies told the Daily Mail: "The known quantity of what appeared to be a hazardous material has been removed."
No other injuries were reported during the incident.
The Berkeley City Club is a hotel and private social club designed by Julia Morgan, the architect who became the first woman ever admitted to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris in 1898.
It boasts an indoor swimming pool and a restaurant, as well as a hair salon.
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