A 21-year-old woman working for an airline purchased a coffee from a vending machine at the Son Sant Joan airport in Majorca, only to discover it was filled with insects. After taking a sip and noticing the strange taste, she saw insects in her cup, triggering a life-threatening allergic reaction. She went into anaphylactic shock, causing her face to swell and her throat to close, making it difficult to breathe. The woman was rushed to the hospital and spent 36 hours in the intensive care unit before being discharged.
Following the incident on April 22, the woman received adrenaline and other drugs from airport health services before being taken to a clinic in Palma. Her family filed a complaint against the airport to the National Police, stating that the bugs in the coffee pose a possible crime against public health and reckless injury. The family accused the airport staff of poorly maintaining the vending machine, which has now been closed down. The incident comes amid tensions in Majorca, where activists are warning tourists about potential dangers on beaches and pointing out the environmental damage caused by mass tourism.
Locals in Majorca have been putting up fake signs on beaches warning of jellyfish and falling rocks to deter tourists from visiting. A group called “caterva” has formed to oppose mass tourism and its impact on the environment. Signs have been written in English to warn visitors about risks, but a hidden message in Catalan reveals that the issue is with mass tourism rather than the stated dangers. Claims of over-tourism have led to efforts to protect the island’s natural resources and preserve its beauty. The incident with the insect-filled coffee highlights the challenges of managing tourism in sensitive locations and the potential risks to public health.
