A couple die hours after frying and eating poisonous puffer fish for lunch in Malaysia
- Ng Chuan Sing and his wife Lim Siew Guan had ‘breathing problems’
- Ms. Guan died the same day, while her husband fell into a coma for eight days
- Their daughter has called for accountability and stricter regulation in Malaysia
An elderly couple has died hours after cooking and eating poisonous puffer fish in Malaysia.
Ng Chuan Sing and his wife Lim Siew Guan, both in their early 80s, accidentally bought at least two poisonous puffer fish online on March 25, according to authorities in the southern state of Johor.
Ms. Guan, 83, began to experience ‘breathing difficulties and chills’ the same day she cooked the pufferfish, while her husband started showing similar symptoms an hour after eating the meal.
After both were rushed to intensive care, Ms. Guan was sadly pronounced dead at 7:00 PM local time. CNN reports.
Her husband, Mr Sing, 84, fell into a coma for eight days before dying on Saturday morning after his condition worsened.
Ng Chuan Sing (right) and his wife Lim Siew Guan (left) were killed after eating a poisonous puffer fish for lunch
Ms Guan, 83, experienced ‘breathing difficulties and chills’ on the same day she fried the puffer fish (file image), while her husband started showing similar symptoms an hour after eating the meal
The couple’s daughter, Ng Ai Lee, claimed responsibility for her parents’ deaths while holding a press conference outside their home on Sunday before their funeral.
“Those responsible for their deaths must be held accountable by law and I hope the authorities will speed up the investigation,” she said.
“I also hope that the Malaysian government will strengthen enforcement and help raise public awareness of puffer fish poisoning to prevent such incidents from happening again.”
Currently, Malaysian laws prohibit vendors from selling poisonous foods, such as pufferfish meat, and those caught face fines of up to – or face a prison sentence of up to two years.
Ms. Lee also revealed how her father inquired about his wife’s well-being shortly before he himself died.
“My father woke up from an eight-day coma,” she said. “The first person he asked for was my mother. We told him she is resting at home.
“We didn’t tell him the truth because we were afraid he couldn’t handle it, but we felt like he knew my mom had died. He cried.’
The elderly couple’s daughter, Ng Ai Lee (pictured), has called for accountability for her parents’ deaths and tougher rules
Ms Lee also revealed how her father (pictured) inquired about his wife’s well-being shortly before he himself passed away
She added that he appeared to have recovered and had even been transferred to a normal ward on Thursday, but after asking again about his wife, he died yesterday, reportedly of a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in an artery that cut off blood flow to the lungs blocked.
Pufferfish, known as “fugu” in Japan, is still eaten in upscale Tokyo restaurants despite the serious risks involved.
Fugu chefs are meant to undergo extensive training of up to three years before being allowed to prepare the puffer fish for food.
Parts of the fish’s organs, skin, blood and bones contain tetrodotoxin – a deadly toxin that can cause horrific symptoms before it dies.