According to police, the substance that triggered a major police operation at the Murnau accident clinic in Upper Bavaria was sodium azide. If ingested, “even small amounts can lead to death,” said the clinic’s medical director, Fabian Stuby.

A 47-year-old man was admitted to the hospital after collapsing at a vocational school in Penzberg. According to police, he had a bottle with a “white, powdery substance” with him. Because it was initially unclear what this was, a task force from the Munich fire department was called in to investigate the substance.

The police assume that the man, who was himself a student at the nursing school, “used the place to end his life,” said operations manager Andreas Nieß.

A few other students from the vocational school class showed symptoms such as respiratory irritation, and two were taken to the hospital with mild symptoms. However, according to police reports, they were not in danger. According to medical director Stuby, no hospital employee showed any symptoms.