Nine people died eating mochi cake new year in Tokyo

Nine people died eating mochi cake new year in Tokyo

Japanese man pounding rice flour to be used as mochi cake ahead of New Year celebrations.

Nine people choke to death in Japan because of eating mochi cake.

Mochi cakes are part of the celebration of the new year in Japan.

According to local reports, 18 people were taken to hospital in Tokyo after choking and could not breathe because eating the snack cake. 

Three of them died, said an official with the state fire department.

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said the number of dead as a result of a cake made from rice flour that reached nine people in all parts of Japan on Friday (02/01).

Thirteen other people are still in a serious predicament.

Fire departments advise people-especially the toddlers and manula- to carve out the mochi into small pieces before eating it.

mochi 2

A child was eating mochi in Tokyo, Japan.

The new year is one of the biggest celebrations in Japan.

In the Japanese tradition, families cooking vegetable soup called "ozouni" and then plunged mochi into the sauce. (BBC)