A night of drinking ended in tragedy as a 32-year-old man died, and three others were hospitalized after allegedly consuming a pufferfish dish during a gathering in Santo Cristo, Virac, Catanduanes.
Barangay Captain Jay Domingo confirmed the incident in an interview with Brigada, stating that the group of four had cooked the pufferfish, brought by one of their friends, and shared it as “pulutan” during their drinking session.
Shortly after consuming the dish, the victim reportedly struggled to breathe and was rushed to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The three other individuals began experiencing similar symptoms and were also taken to the hospital for treatment.
Authorities suspect the pufferfish, known for its potentially lethal tetrodotoxin, as the cause of the poisoning. Samples of the remaining dish have been collected by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for testing to confirm whether the pufferfish was indeed the source of the toxin.
This tragedy highlights the dangers of consuming improperly prepared dishes, especially those involving highly toxic ingredients like pufferfish, which has no known antidote.
