Several held over 'death of woman in suicide capsule'

Police in Switzerland say several people have been detained over the suspected death of a US woman inside a “suicide capsule”.

- ATHENA STAVROU

A criminal investigation has been opened after prosecutors in Schaffhausen were informed by a law firm that an assisted suicide involving the Sarco capsule had taken place near a forest cabin in Merishausen.

They said several people had been taken into custody with investigators looking at possible incitement and accessory to suicide. The pod, which had never been used before, is a 3Dprinted device that cost more than $1m to develop. It works by introducing nitrogen gas into the sealed chamber, causing the person inside to fall asleep and then die by suffocation a few minutes later.