Package containing smelly durian fruit causes evacuation in Bavarian post office; 12 German postal workers admitted to hospital

In a bizarre case, 12 German postal workers had to receive medical attention and dozens of others were evacuated due to a pungent smelling package. The parcel later turned out to contain the notoriously smelly durian fruit.

According to a report in CNN, the incident saw police, emergency services and firefighters being called to a post office in the Bavarian town of Schweinfurt on Saturday, after a staff came across the smelly package.

Representational image. Unsplash@Jonny Clow

As per the report, the entire building was evacuated with around 60 employees forced to leave before the package was fully examined.

A statement by the Schweinfurt Police Department stated, "Due to the unknown content, it was initially unclear whether the suspect package posed a greater risk."

Post examination it turned out that the smelly package actually contained four Thai durian fruits, which a 50-year-old man from the neighbourhood had been sent by his friend from Nuremberg.

A report in The Guardian mentions that the pungent smell of the Durian is so strong that the fruit is actually banned in many hotels and public transports across Asia.

Often called the 'king of fruit', durian has a distinctive flavour and aroma that has divided opinion in the culinary world. The report states that while some describe the flavour as that of cheesecake with a hint of almonds, others have often compared it to unwashed feet and even rotten onions.

An article by Science Times revealed that the package containing the fruits was eventually delivered to its designated recipient.

The report cited a 2019 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that revealed that the fruit's peculiar smell is caused by the odorant ethanethiol and its derivatives. While the biochemical pathway by which the plant produces the compound is unknown, researchers have determined that ethionine is the precursor of the vicious smell.

However, this is not the first time that the infamous durian has caused a commotion of sorts. Staff at Australia’s University of Canberra library were forced to evacuate the building due to a suspected gas leak in 2019, reported Mothership. However, the suspected gas leak later turned out to be part of a durian.