1 dead, 7 fall ill after eating puffer fish off Lapu-Lapu City

CEBU CITY — A 6-year-old boy died while his parents and five other siblings fell ill after eating a puffer fish on an islet off Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island on Tuesday.

PO2 Lolieboy Terana, desk officer of a police station based on Olango Island, said Mateo Casiao died about 5 a.m. in their home in Sitio Song-ong Pangan-an Islet, Olango, hours after eating the puffer fish with his family.

His parents and other siblings also fell ill and were taken to a hospital for treatment.

They were Florencio Casiao, 38, and his wife Margie, 35; and children Gian, 12; Miles, 10; Derick, 9; Shantol, 5; and Maria Teresa, 3.

They were first brought to the Sta. Rosa Community Hospital in Olango but were transferred to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.

Terana said the victims felt dizzy and pain in the head and stomach after eating puffer fish for breakfast.

Gian caught a big puffer fish on Monday night. In the morning, Margie cooked the fish into “tinola,” a Filipino soup-based dish made of tomatoes, ginger, onion, and moringa.

After the family had breakfast, all fell ill.

According to Terana, Mateo fainted and later died.