"Three People in Critical Condition After Eating Duck Meat, Dined at the Same Table"

Police "Conducting Multifaceted Investigation"

In Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk, it has been confirmed that three residents who lost consciousness and fell into critical condition after sharing duck meat were dining at the same table.

On the 16th, Yonhap News quoted a Bonghwa-gun official reporting that the three affected elderly people ate together at the same table, and there were 2 to 3 more people dining at that table. These additional people were confirmed to be unharmed. The official also added, "It appears that the elderly who collapsed did not consume any additional food after finishing their meal, and they were not suffering from any other illnesses."

Duck meat. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

Earlier, on the first day of Chobok (the beginning of the hottest period in summer), 41 members of a senior citizens' center in Bonghwa-eup, Bonghwa-gun, gathered at a local restaurant in the village to share duck meat. Afterwards, they dispersed to two nearby locations, a senior welfare center and another senior citizens' center, to engage in hobbies such as table tennis. Later that day, between 1 PM and 3 PM, three residents who had shared the duck meat showed critical symptoms such as cardiac arrest or decreased consciousness and were transported to the hospital. Their condition has somewhat improved at the hospital but remains serious.

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Institute of Health and Environment is conducting an investigation by collecting samples. A Bonghwa Police Station official stated, "Since there is no evidence of criminal activity yet, we are focusing on the possibility of food poisoning and sharing data with health authorities for investigation. However, we are not ruling out the possibility of a crime and are conducting a multifaceted investigation."