Durian Package at Germany Post Office Causes Evacuation, 6 Hospitalised Due to Pungent Smell of Fruit

A packet of durian at a post office in the Bavarian town of Schweinfurt, Germany resulted in the evacuation of the building. Police, firefighters and emergency services were called on Saturday after the staff noticed the smell coming from the package. As the pungent smell of the fruit-filled the entire building, around 60 employees were asked to leave. Thereafter the package was examined only to find out that it contained durian fruits. A 50-year-old resident of the town had sent a package of smelly fruits to his friend in Nuremberg. Police in Schweinfurt said that as a precaution six people were taken to the hospital as a precaution. Rare Durian Fruit 'J-Queen' Fetches $1,343 Each in Indonesia! World's Smelliest Fruit Becomes Most Expensive.

A statement from Schweinfurt police department explained, "Due to the unknown content, it was initially unclear whether the suspect package posed a greater risk." Police in Schweinfurt was quoted as saying, "A total of twelve postal workers who complained of nausea had to be taken care of on-site." Durian's flavour and texture are what is loved about the fruit. It is found in Southeast Asia and eaten widely. However, its notorious smell is what keeps the fruit away from a lot of people. The fruit is even banned in some places due to its terrible smell.

In Singapore, the fruit has been prohibited in its subway system. The smell of durian is generally compared to rotten food or dirty socks. The fruit had caused panic last year at the University of Canberra Library. People were forced to evacuate the building due to a suspected gas leak, it was factor found out to be the stench of the fruit. Similarly in 2018, a cargo of durian caused an Indonesian plane to be temporarily grounded after passengers complained about the fruit’s room-clearing stench in the cabin.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 23, 2020 01:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).