Filipina Influencer Dies Two Days After Smiling Mukbang Video Featuring Deadly Devil Crab

She Suffered Convulsions and Seizures the Day After Filming the Video
Flesh and Shell Contain Saxitoxin and Tetrodotoxin
Same Type of Toxin as Pufferfish Poison, Fatal in Cases of Poisoning

A female food influencer in her 50s who was active in the Philippines died after eating a highly toxic crustacean known as the Devil Crab. The mukbang video she posted on social media became her final record and has shocked the local community.

On February 13, Yonhap News TV reported, citing foreign media outlets including the New York Post, that Emma Amit, 51, who lived in Puerto Princesa in Palawan Province, Philippines, filmed a video on February 4 of herself cooking and eating seafood she had gathered with acquaintances in a nearby mangrove forest, and that she was fatally poisoned in the process.

The 'Devil Crab' is also called the toxic reef crab and primarily inhabits Indo-Pacific coral reef areas. This crustacean contains deadly neurotoxins such as saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin in its flesh and shell. Photo by Pixabay

The video shows her tasting sea snails and various other seafood cooked in coconut milk. She introduced the food with a bright smile, but began to show severe abnormal symptoms the next day. According to neighbors, Amit suddenly suffered convulsions and seizures and was rushed to the hospital. However, as the neurotoxins spread through her bloodstream, her condition rapidly deteriorated, and she was pronounced dead on February 6, two days after consuming the food.

Barangay chief Lady Gemang, who launched an investigation, stated that several brightly colored Devil Crab shells were found around Amit's house. She said, "Two people in our village have already lost their lives after eating this crab," and issued a strong warning: "Never eat such a dangerous crab."

A female food influencer in her 50s who was active in the Philippines died after eating a highly toxic crustacean known as the Devil Crab. The mukbang video she posted on social media became her final record and has shocked the local community. Photo: Not related to the specific content of the article. Pixabay

The Devil Crab is also called the toxic reef crab and primarily inhabits Indo-Pacific coral reef areas. This crustacean contains deadly neurotoxins such as saxitoxin and tetrodotoxin in its flesh and shell. These toxins belong to the same class as pufferfish poison and can cause nerve paralysis and respiratory failure, leading to death within a few hours. Local authorities are continuing to monitor the deceased woman's acquaintances for any similar symptoms. One of her friends expressed condolences, saying, "It was shocking and so sudden. She must have had many plans she still wanted to achieve, and I don't understand why something like this had to happen."

Meanwhile, in recent years, as social media has spread and unusual mukbang content has increased, there have been occasional accidents caused by toxic ingredients. In some parts of Southeast Asia, there have been reports of people consuming poisonous marine animals after mistaking them for folk remedies or delicacies. In particular, some shellfish and other marine species that inhabit coral reefs have such striking appearances that ordinary people find it difficult to tell whether they are safe to eat.