In Wiesbaden, Germany, a bizarre “gas leak scare” turned out to be caused by none other than the famously pungent durian fruit. Local fire departments received multiple emergency calls from residents reporting what they believed to be a gas leak at a city center shopping mall and nearby residential areas — only to later discover that the culprit was a fresh shipment of durians.
According to reports from Deutsche Welle and the Wiesbaden city council, the incident began around 2:52 p.m. last Saturday when mall staff alerted authorities about a strong odor of gas filling the area. Firefighters arrived and confirmed the smell but found no trace of flammable gases on their detectors. After ventilating the area, they temporarily left — only to be called back hours later for the same complaint.
Upon conducting a more thorough search, firefighters eventually traced the source to several boxes of newly delivered durians at an Asian supermarket inside the mall. The building’s central ventilation system had spread the durian’s distinctive odor throughout the premises, prompting multiple false alarms. Fire officials later explained that while durians are known as the “King of Fruits,” their intense, sulfur-like smell can easily be mistaken for leaking gas or chemicals, especially by those unfamiliar with it.
Oddly enough, the fire department received two more calls later that night — one again from the shopping mall and another from an apartment building on Wald Street. In the second case, a resident had just purchased a durian from the same supermarket, and the odor quickly filled the stairwell, prompting neighbors to call authorities once more.
The “durian gas scare” quickly went viral on German social media, with many users joking, “At least it’s just durian!” and “Firefighters passed their smell test today.” The Wiesbaden Fire Department even joined in on the humor, posting an educational note online explaining that although the fruit smells overpowering, it poses no danger — urging residents to stay calm the next time they catch a whiff of the “King of Fruits.”
