Woman Dies of Poisoning After Eating Sardines at French Bar

Sardines in a restaurant in France (File- AFP)
Sardines in a restaurant in France (File- AFP)
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Woman Dies of Poisoning After Eating Sardines at French Bar

Sardines in a restaurant in France (File- AFP)
Sardines in a restaurant in France (File- AFP)

A woman died in France from botulism after eating sardines at a restaurant last week and 12 other people were in treatment for the rare condition, health officials said Wednesday.

Botulism is a serious neurological illness typically brought on by eating food that has been improperly preserved.

The restaurant in Bordeaux, southwestern France, had preserved the sardines itself, the DGS health authority said late Tuesday.

The nationality of the dead woman, aged 32, has not yet been determined, a source close to the case said, AFP reported.

A doctor at the Pellegrin hospital in Bordeaux, Benjamin Clouzeau, said 12 more people were still receiving emergency treatment early Wednesday. Five of them were on respiratory support.

The group included American, Irish and Canadian nationals, he said.

A German national travelled home for treatment, as did a resident of Barcelona, Spain, the doctor said.

All of them had eaten at the restaurant, the "Tchin Tchin Wine Bar" in Bordeaux, between September 4 and 10 when there are typically large numbers of tourists in the town, famous for its wine and food.

They all ate sardines that had been stored by the restaurant owner himself in jars, the DGS said.

Botulism is deadly in five to 10 percent of cases because of a toxin generated by clostridium botulinum bacteria that can appear when preserved food is insufficiently sterilised.

Authorities were still running tests at the restaurant, the DGS said, adding it could not rule out the emergence of further cases of botulism which has an incubation period of up to several days.

It can cause muscle paralysis lasting several weeks, with the most immediate danger stemming from affected respiratory muscles.

Local newspaper Sud-Ouest quoted the restaurant owner as saying that he had thrown out some of the jars containing sardines because of a "strong smell" emanating from the containers when he opened them.

But others "appeared in good condition and were served up to customers", he said.



Heatstroke Alerts Issued in Japan as Temperatures Surge 

A person visits Horikiri Iris Garden in Tokyo where temperatures reached into the mid-30s Centigrade (90F+) on June 18, 2025. (AFP)
A person visits Horikiri Iris Garden in Tokyo where temperatures reached into the mid-30s Centigrade (90F+) on June 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Heatstroke Alerts Issued in Japan as Temperatures Surge 

A person visits Horikiri Iris Garden in Tokyo where temperatures reached into the mid-30s Centigrade (90F+) on June 18, 2025. (AFP)
A person visits Horikiri Iris Garden in Tokyo where temperatures reached into the mid-30s Centigrade (90F+) on June 18, 2025. (AFP)

Sweltering temperatures prompted heatstroke alerts in multiple Japanese regions on Wednesday, with dozens of people seeking emergency medical care in the capital Tokyo.

The hot weather was headline news in the country, which last year experienced its joint warmest summer ever as climate change fueled extreme heatwaves around the globe.

Record temperatures were logged in 14 cities for June, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, while in central Tokyo the mercury hit 34.4 degrees Celsius (94 Fahrenheit).

Doctors treated at least 57 people for heat-related malaise in the capital on Wednesday, adding to the 169 people seen on Tuesday.

At least three heat-related deaths were reported in other parts of the country this week.

Some Tokyo residents wore heat-repellent clothing to beat the high temperatures, like Junko Kobayashi, 73, who showed AFP her cooling scarf.

"I soak it in water and then wrap it around my neck. It feels refreshing. And I use this umbrella too. It blocks the light and heat so it feels cooler," she said.

Other elderly residents said they were trying to take it easy so as not to risk heatstroke, while 80-year-old Naoki Ito said he was making sure to regularly drink water.

"I don't need to take a big gulp, just a small sip here and there. It's important to remember that," Ito said.

Every summer, Japanese officials urge the public, especially elderly people, to seek shelter in air-conditioned rooms to avoid heatstroke.

Senior citizens made up more than 80 percent of heat-related deaths in the past five years.

Japan is also experiencing a record influx of tourists, with foreign visitors up 21 percent year-on-year in May.

"It's been pretty stinking," said 31-year-old Australian tourist Jack Budd, who was trying to find shade whenever possible with his travel partner.

"The breeze is quite warm so it's hard to get out of it unless you go inside," he said.