Hundreds flee homes in Otaru after man kills himself by inhaling deadly gas

Friday 02nd May, 05:20 AM JST

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13 Comments

DXXJP at 07:29 PM JST - 1st May

You know sooner or later someone is going to do this in the subway, and thats the scary part. For what ever reason people kill them selves its a shame they dont consider the risks to those who want to live.
pathat at 08:43 PM JST - 1st May

DXXJP: You know, that is a scary thought, how easily it would be for someone to do this on a large-scale in the Tokyo Metro, and not just for suicide.
henryo12 at 08:52 PM JST - 1st May

We do not need Al Qaeda for threatening us. These people are doing a fine job of spreading a possible form of terrorism. The sad thing is that the ingredients they are using you can get at a normal supermarket, home center or convenient store. In a twisted sort of way, they are terrorists because they are threatening other peoples lives. It is truly unfortunate that the government and people are not doing more to help and understand these people. Until Japan has more physciatrists and professionals in mental health care, and stop treating these people like outcasts and to be frowned upon, then Japan will always have this sort of problem. With these professionals, it might help decrease the incidences of these things happening. Until then, people who think Japan is a pure, normal, stable society without any faults are just fooling themselves because that could be the root of this societys problem.
BigDudeGSO at 10:34 PM JST - 1st May

We do not need Al Qaeda for threatening us. These people are doing a fine job of spreading a possible form of terrorism. The sad thing is that the ingredients they are using you can get at a normal supermarket, home center or convenient store. In a twisted sort of way, they are terrorists because they are threatening other peoples lives. It is truly unfortunate that the government and people are not doing more to help and understand these people. Until Japan has more physciatrists and professionals in mental health care, and stop treating these people like outcasts and to be frowned upon, then Japan will always have this sort of problem. With these professionals, it might help decrease the incidences of these things happening. Until then, people who think Japan is a pure, normal, stable society without any faults are just fooling themselves because that could be the root of this societys problem.
1keiron at 12:18 AM JST - 2nd May

I to fear it could happen somewhere like the tokyo subway.
KitsuneYoukai at 12:58 AM JST - 2nd May

This is so sad. Unbelievable how this type suicide has taken flight. I wonder the reasons for people killing themselves; depression, loneliness, a feeling of "no way out"???? They are so young too. In a time where Japan needs it youths.
Zaphod at 01:10 AM JST - 2nd May

Get real, people. They are talking about H2S. Sure, you can kill yourselves with that, but the sulphur stink will alert any normal (non-suicidal) person to notice and go away. Unless is a hot-spring resort, in which case you endure the smell because it is natural, but not for long. We are not talking about Sarin here, can we please cut down on the hype.
northlondon at 01:27 AM JST - 2nd May

Didn't one of JT's news lifestyle sections run an article about a week ago about this new trend in suicide methods and how it is done ?
flammenwerfer at 07:10 AM JST - 2nd May

0.0047 ppm is the recognition threshold, the concentration at which 50% of humans can detect the characteristic odor of hydrogen sulfide, normally described as resembling "a rotten egg". 10-20 ppm is the borderline concentration for eye irritation. 50-100 ppm leads to eye damage. At 150-250 ppm the olfactory nerve is paralyzed after a few inhalations, and the sense of smell disappears, often together with awareness of danger, 320-530 ppm leads to pulmonary edema with the possibility of death. 530-1000 ppm causes strong stimulation of the central nervous system and rapid breathing, leading to loss of breathing; 800 ppm is the lethal concentration for 50% of humans for 5 minutes exposure(LC50). Concentrations over 1000 ppm cause immediate collapse with loss of breathing, even after inhalation of a single breath.

Suicide, if you are going to do it, then at least chose a "better" way to do it. H2S is nasty stuff and those killing themselves are gunning for the the 1000ppm, one breath and your gone, easy way way for the chicken suicider to take themselves out. Unfortuneately they also have the very real possibility of taking out plenty of innocent bystanders. get a rope, a razorblade, jump into a lava river.....there are few things worse than the the 'selfish' suicider: the train jumpers, the hydrogen sulphides et al.

I knew a woman, many years ago who topped herself back in my home country by eating weetbix laced with cyanide, she didnt leave a suicide note or warning so her neighbour attempted CPR without knowing she had committed suicide by cyanide and got rather ill from residue cyanide in her mouth.
flammenwerfer at 07:19 AM JST - 2nd May

They are talking about H2S. Sure, you can kill yourselves with that, but the sulphur stink will alert any normal (non-suicidal) person to notice and go away

At 150-250 ppm the olfactory nerve is paralyzed after a few inhalations, and the sense of smell disappears, often together with awareness of danger

If you suddenly happen upon such a suicide. there is a small possibility you could not notice. Perhaps you force you way into sealed room and get immediately hit with a strong whiff of it, perhaps you have a shocking cold and cant smell anything, or have damaged olfactory system in the first place. The rotten eggs warning is not a 100% guarantee. A four year old boy might be curious to see what stinks so bad and go check it out.....
akuma1985 at 09:05 AM JST - 2nd May

this guy is stupid it's like people who use gaz,train or subway to killthemself. the piss off everybody. if you want kill yourself ok but do it alone. those guy are too selfish. not rip. japan don't need guy like that.
HoDeDo at 09:26 AM JST - 2nd May

Detergent suicides aren't very clean.
Fair dinkum! at 02:34 PM JST - 2nd May

It's strange how trends change over the years. This suicide by gas from kitchen chemicals is an interesting fad. Maybe it's time to reintroduce the Coca-Cola yo-yo or even ding-bats. It might give these 'ding-bats' something else to do. It's ridiculous!