A Durian Package Led To A Building Evacuation & Sent 6 People To The Hospital In Germany

According to United Press International, the incident took place at the municipality's post office in Schweinfurt town on Saturday, 20 June.

Police were alerted about a suspicious smell coming from one of the packages and it led to the evacuation of some 60 people in the building. An elite team was then sent in to inspect the package.

"Due to the unknown content, it was initially unclear whether the suspect package posed a greater risk," the local police said in a statement.

CNN reported that six ambulances, five first responder cars, and two emergency vehicles were deployed to the scene. Three different fire departments were also present to face the unknown threat disrupting lives in the peaceful town filled with historical architecture.

The durians were sent by a 50-year-old resident of the town to a friend in Nuremberg, reported Berita Harian.

Police said 12 Deutsche Post workers were given medical attention after reportedly suffering from nausea, while six were sent to the hospital as a precaution.

After the foul-up, the fruit was eventually delivered to the recipient.

RMIT University and the University of Canberra in Australia had in the past made headlines for evacuating students and staff for mistaking the stench of durians to a major gas leak.

In November 2018, an Indonesian plane was forced to be temporarily grounded after passengers complained about an overwhelming smell in the cabin. At the time, the plane was carrying two tones of durians in the cargo, reported BBC.