SEOUL, December 04 (AJP) - Three people died and at least 32 were hospitalized after members of the indigenous Teduray tribe consumed a sea turtle in Maguindanao del Norte province, southern Philippines, on Nov 30, local officials reported.
The turtle was prepared as adobo, a popular Filipino dish cooked with vinegar and soy sauce, before residents began experiencing symptoms including stomach pain and vomiting. The three victims were immediately buried according to local traditions, while authorities are investigating the incident using recovered turtle remains.
Sea turtles, which are protected under Philippine environmental laws and listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), can cause chelonitoxism, a type of food poisoning that has led to periodic fatalities, including nine deaths in Tanzania's Pemba Island in March after residents consumed turtle meat.
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