Meal of puffer fish kills 2 men in 60s
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Chanrit Boonsorn, 60, was pronounced dead at the local hospital yesterday. His 64-year-old neighbour in tambon Hua Reu, Boonma Jumket, also died on Saturday after eating soup made from puffer fish he caught in Lam Nam Siew.
The meal was so toxic that when the remaining soup was poured out to feed chickens, 11 of them died. Authorities have urged Hua Reu people to avoid puffer fish because of its deadly toxin, which cannot be destroyed by heat of 170 degrees Celsius. Seventh Health Service Area official Dr Itthipol Sungkhaeng said the two men had consumed a lot of puffer fish along with some alcoholic drinks, helping the toxin to spread faster through their bodies and lead to their deaths.
