Switzerland bans 'suicide capsule' for assisted dying. Here's how it can kill people 'in seconds'

The prosecutors in Switzerland took a landmark decision of banning a 'death capsule' which has been designed for carrying out assisted suicides before it was about to be used for the first time.

The machine called Sarco - a short form of the sarcophagus - allows euthanasia patients sitting inside it to press a button and die 'within seconds', as per the company Exit Switzerland, which created it.

The machine has been dubbed the 'Tesla of euthanasia' and it gets filled with nitrogen which leaves the occupant gasping for oxygen and makes him/her unconscious before death.

Dr Philip Nitschke, a vocaladvocate forassisted dying, created the machineand claims that it will help its users to die swiftly and painlessly.

What prosecutors said about the 'death pod'

The prosecutors in Switzerland's Schaffhausen Canton said anyone caught assisting someone in using the pods can face nearly five years of imprisonment, as reported by Swiss media.

Public Prosecutor Peter Sticher hinted at "serious consequences" for Nitschke for "inducement and aiding and abetting suicide for selfish reasons".

As quoted by Swiss media, Sticher said, "There is no reliable information about the method of killing. [It is] completely unclear who has control over which mechanical process during the dying process."

The ban was imposed after Dr Nitschke said on June 10 that Sarco was about to be deployed in Switzerland "in the next few weeks."

"The machine can be towed anywhere for the death. It can be in an idyllic outdoor setting or on the premises of an assisted suicide organisation, for example," theadvocate for assisted dyingadded.

How does this suicide capsule work?

Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Nitschke explained the working of hismachine.

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He said, "The person will climb into the machine, they will be asked three questions and they will answer verbally - 'Who are you?', 'Where are you?' and 'Do you know what happens if you press the button?'"

"And if they answer those questions verbally, the software then switches the power on so that the button can then be pressed. And if they press the button they will die very quickly," Dr Nitschke explained.

"When you climb into Sarco the oxygen level is 21 per cent but after you press the button it takes 30 seconds for the oxygen to drop to less than 1 per cent," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)