LONG BEACH : Suspected Drug Lab Raided; 100 People Are Evacuated
More than 100 people were allowed to return to their homes and businesses late Thursday in downtown Long Beach after authorities evacuated them following the discovery of a suspected drug lab with potentially explosive chemicals.
Investigators found cylinders and containers of explosive methylamine, hydrogen bromide and sassafras oil in a one-story commercial building at 643 Broadway, said police spokeswoman Karen Kerr. The chemicals apparently were used to make the hallucinogen Ecstasy.
Authorities discovered the chemicals after a tenant reported a strange smell in the building. They evacuated a two-block area about 3 p.m.
No drugs were found in the building. A hazardous materials squad continued to remove the chemicals Thursday night, but authorities said they had eliminated any danger of explosion and allowed the people to return to the neighborhood.
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