Man in Cambodia dies from poisoning after eating lizard eggs

34-year-old man in Cambodia dies after consuming lizard eggs while drinking alcohol at home

A 34-year-old man from Russey Krak village in Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia, has died after reportedly eating roasted lizard eggs, which caused fatal food poisoning.

The incident occurred on Wednesday (29 Oct) at approximately 8.10am, when the victim, identified as Khut Ratana, was found dead beneath his house.

According to Mongkol Borei District Police, the victim’s body was discovered motionless after he had consumed the potentially poisonous eggs of a lizard.

Children warn victim of poisonous lizard eggs

Two local children, 10-year-olds Chum Chrip and Win Soklin, told police that they had seen Ratana the previous afternoon (28 Oct) drinking alcohol alone under his house when a lizard jumped nearby.

They said he caught the lizard, skinned and roasted it, then ate both the meat and the eggs, according to Cambodia’s Khmer Times.

Despite being warned by the children about the potential danger of eating the eggs, Ratana ignored their caution, brushing off the concerns about the eggs being poisonous.

On Wednesday morning, the children’s mother noticed Ratana lying motionless under his hammock.

When she approached, she discovered he had died and alerted local authorities.

Body returned to family for funeral rites

Following a post-mortem examination, police and forensic experts confirmed that Ratana’s cause of death was food poisoning.

The body has since been returned to his family for funeral rites in accordance with local tradition.

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