A farmer named Shahidul Islam, 55, died in Alamdanga upazila of Chuadanga district after a mango stone lodged in his windpipe while he was eating a mango. It happened on the morning of Saturday, 30 May 2026, in Bhangbaria village of the upazila. He was the son of the late Badar Uddin Mondal of the same village. Jagonews24 reported the death that day, and the daily Amar Desh also carried a report the same day of a man who died after a mango stone lodged in his windpipe.
An accident while eating a mango at home
Citing local people, Jagonews24 said Shahidul Islam was eating a ripe mango at home that morning when the stone accidentally became stuck in his windpipe and he began struggling to breathe. Family members and neighbours tried to help him, but he died within a short time.
Bani Israil, officer-in-charge (OC) of Alamdanga police station, confirmed the death. He said preliminary information showed that Shahidul Islam died because a mango stone lodged in his windpipe while he was eating.
Alamdanga is one of the four upazilas of Chuadanga district, alongside Chuadanga Sadar, Jibannagar and Damurhuda. The district lies in Khulna Division, with the Indian state of West Bengal to its west. Alamdanga upazila covers 364.66 square kilometres and has one municipality and 15 union parishads; the 2022 census counted 368,189 people there.
Why choking on food is so dangerous
The American Red Cross explains that choking happens when the airway is partly or completely blocked, for example by a piece of food. A person who is choking can quickly become unresponsive and die, so it is important to act fast. Talking or laughing with a full mouth, eating too fast, neurological or muscular conditions that affect chewing or swallowing, and dental problems or poorly fitting dentures all raise the risk.
According to MedlinePlus, the health information service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the universal sign of choking is grabbing the throat with the hand. Other signs include being unable to speak, difficulty breathing, noisy or high-pitched breathing, a weak cough, bluish skin and loss of consciousness.
First aid when someone is choking
MedlinePlus and the American Red Cross give much the same guidance for adults and for children over one year old. First ask whether the person can speak. Act only if they cannot speak or breathe, or their cough is weak:
- Stand to the side and slightly behind the person, supporting the upper body as they lean forward.
- Give 5 firm, separate blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
- Then, from behind, place a fist just above the navel and well below the breastbone and give 5 quick inward and upward thrusts (abdominal thrusts, the Heimlich manoeuvre).
- Keep alternating 5 back blows and 5 abdominal thrusts until the object comes out or the person can cough, cry or speak.
- If the person becomes unconscious, call emergency services at once and begin CPR.
MedlinePlus warns against forcing the mouth open or trying to grab a lodged object, since this can push it deeper into the airway. To prevent choking it advises eating slowly, chewing food well, not talking with food in the mouth and keeping small objects away from children.
Photo: Salim_Khandoker / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Sources: Jagonews24, Amar Desh, MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), American Red Cross, Wikipedia
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