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Food influencer eats ‘devil crabs’ in Philippines mangroves, dies two days later
The viral video shows Emma Amit, a food influencer from the Philippines, smiling and holding up the crab before taking a bite.
Devil crabs are considered among the most poisonous crabs in the Philippines (Image source: X)
Social media challenges for the sake of making viral contents have claimed several lives in recent times, with content creators or influencers pushing their limits to create videos. Emma Amit, a food influencer from the Philippines, lost her life after eating a poisonous crab species, locally called “devil crab.”
According to the New York Post, the incident unfolded when Amit had gone shellfish and crab gathering with friends in a mangrove forest near her residence on February 4. The viral video shows her smiling and holding up the crab before taking a bite.
Within a day, she began to feel unwell as neurotoxins entered her bloodstream, the report added.
According to the local people, she suffered seizures and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Two days later, on February 6, she was declared dead, the report added. Laddy Gemang, chief of Luzviminda Village, expressed sadness over the incident and urged residents not to take similar risks.
“This is really saddening because they should have known,” he said. “She and her husband, they are both fisherfolk. They live by the sea, so I know they know about this devil crab that’s dangerous to eat. So why did she eat it? That is what I’m confused about.”
Village officers later visited Amit’s home, where brightly coloured shells believed to be from devil crabs were found in the garbage.
“I saw the shells, there were around eight. I don’t know if all of them were devil crabs, but they all looked alike,” Gemang added.
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He also issued a warning to the local community, saying, “So to the residents of Puerto Princesa, I am urging you to be doubly vigilant. Do not eat these dangerous devil crabs because they have claimed two lives here in our town. Don’t gamble with your lives.”
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Devil crabs are considered among the most poisonous crabs in the Philippines, and about half of reported intoxication cases are fatal, the report stated.
Amit lived with her husband in Luzviminda Village near Puerto Princesa. The couple, both fisherfolk, regularly fished and gathered seafood from nearby coastal waters and mangrove forests, where shellfish and crabs are commonly found.
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