Hotel cleared after possible hazardous materials suicide

BERKELEY, Calif., March 19 (UPI) -- A Berkeley, Calif., hotel was evacuated after a person apparently used hazardous materials to commit suicide, police said.

Berkeley police representative Ethell Wilson evacuated the historic Berkeley City Club after responding to reports of an apparent suicide Tuesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday.

Wilson said officials were trying to determine if a public health hazard existed, "so we evacuated the building and are keeping traffic out of the area until we can determine if it is safe."

The Berkeley police bomb unit worked with the Berkeley Fire Department and University of California-Berkeley police, Wilson said.