The families of six people who died of food poisoning after dining at a Malaysian restaurant in Taiwan will receive in total a record sum of NT$10.8 million (S$436,944) in government compensation, Taiwanese media reported.

The six victims fell seriously ill and died after eating Polam Kopitiam’s flat rice noodle at the restaurant chain’s Xinyi outlet in Taipei between March 19 and 24 in 2024.

They were three men and three women aged between 39 and 66, one of whom was a 40-year-old Malaysian man.

The oldest, Mr Yang, was admitted to hospital for diarrhoea and chest tightness after eating fried flat noodles at the restaurant. He later died due to multiple organ failure.

Another victim, Mr Lv, 39, received emergency treatment at a hospital on March 23, 2024, for diarrhoea and vomiting, one day after his meal of fried flat noodles and a pandan drink. He died of acute renal failure.

Twenty-seven other people fell sick after dining at the outlet.

Investigations point to the improper storage and mishandling of the noodles, which were kept at room temperature though they were supposed to be chilled.

Five people – the restaurant’s owner, branch manager, two chefs and a restaurant intern – have been charged with negligent homicide.

Families of the six dead diners applied to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for government compensation under the Crime Victim Rights Protection Act, China Times reported.

Each family was awarded NT$1.8 million this week.

It is the highest payout ever given for a food safety case, according to the China Times.

The trial of the five accused is ongoing.

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