March 19--SAN FRANCISCO -- Police evacuated the Berkeley City Club on Tuesday afternoon after a person apparently used hazardous materials to commit suicide in a third-floor room.
Officers responded to reports of the apparent suicide at the historic hotel at 2315 Durant Ave. about 1:56 p.m., said Berkeley police spokesman Officer Ethell Wilson.
They evacuated the hotel of its guests and staff, and blocked off traffic in the area.
"We haven't determined if it is a public health hazard as of yet so we evacuated the building and are keeping traffic out of the area until we can determine if it is safe," Wilson said.
The Berkeley police bomb unit is working in conjunction with the Berkeley Fire Department and UC police, Wilson said.
The investigation was ongoing and the scene closed to the public as of 7 p.m.
Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @VivianHo
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