A durian a dozen: The fruit causing a serious fuss in Germany

Cathryn Boyes
Jun 24, 2020, updated Jun 23, 2020

Postal workers were evacuated over the suspect smell of durians. Photo: Getty

This is not a drill – it’s a durian.

An entire German post office was evacuated over an attempted delivery of malodorous fruit on Saturday.

Police, firefighters and emergency services were called after post office staff in the Bavarian town of Schweinfurt noticed a pungent scent coming from a suspicious package.

Twelve postal workers complaining of nausea reportedly received medical treatment, while six were sent to the hospital as a precaution.

“Due to the unknown content, it was initially unclear whether the suspect package posed a greater risk,” a statement from Schweinfurt police department said.

According to CNN, about 60 staff were evacuated from the building before authorities were able to examine the suspect parcel.

The culprit? Four notoriously smelly Thai durians.

A Kim Jong-un impersonator poses with a notoriously smelly durian. Photo: Getty

Six ambulances, five first-responder cars and two emergency vehicles attended the incident, while three different fire departments were also involved.

The 50-year-old Schweinfurt resident who had posted them home from Nuremberg was likely not expecting the spiky fruit to cause such a fuss.

The package, with its notably unpleasant smell, eventually found its way to the intended recipient.