Posted on Wed, March 9, 2005 at http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/11093437.htm
Calif.
woman dies after building fumigated
MICHELLE MORGANTE
Associated Press
SAN DIEGO - A woman died after a fumigation crew pumped toxic
gas into her condominium building to kill termites, authorities
said.
Residents had been advised to leave, signs were posted throughout
the building, and fumigation crews did a walk-through to make
sure it was empty, authorities said. But fumigation workers started
hearing screams several hours later from the three-story building.
Rescuers pulled out 37-year-old Linda Williams, who died at a
hospital Monday, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office
confirmed Wednesday.
The Medical Examiner's office said Williams was a resident of
the building.
Police were questioning a relative of Williams, her boyfriend
and the fumigation workers to determine what went wrong.
The cause of death was not immediately determined. Investigators
said they would need at least six weeks to receive results of
toxicology tests.
D&S Fumigation was using sulfuryl fluoride,
a gas that can be fatal if inhaled, said county Agriculture
Commissioner Kathleen Thuner. A message left for the company not
immediately returned.
* Note
from FAN: See follow-up articles of March
10 and August 5, 2005.
Photo of Linda Williams, age 37, who died after the building she
lived in was fumigated.