Package of durians causes post office evacuation, sends 6 workers to hospital

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Durian causes false positive in alcohol test

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Six postal workers were sent to a hospital after a package of durians prompted authorities to evacuate their office last Saturday, June 20.

Police and firefighters rushed to the post office in Schweinfurt, Germany, when employees reported that a “suspicious smell” was coming from a package, as per UPI on June 22.

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

After evacuating 60 people from the office, authorities eventually found out that the strong smell simply came from durians, The Evening Standard reported yesterday, June 23.

Along with the evacuation, 12 workers received medical attention for nausea, while six were taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Following the incident, authorities learned that the package of four Thai durian fruits was sent to a 50-year-old resident. According to the report, the package was eventually shipped to its intended recipient.

Durians are tropical fruits that are known for their strong odors. Due to their smell, they have been banned in many hotels and on public transport across Southeast Asia. Ryan Arcadio /ra

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