Over 500 people queue for 1,200 kg of free durians in Singapore

The giveaway, organized by seller Famous Durian on Yishun Street 81, was scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday but around 200 seniors were already lined up by 5 p.m., AsiaOne reported, citing a local Chinese-language daily.

One of them, a 71-year-old retiree who managed to secure the fourth spot in the queue, told Shin Min Daily News that she had arrived at 3 p.m.

"This is my first time claiming the durians, I'm very happy," she said.

Durians at the Famous Durian stall in Singapore. Photo from Famous Durian's Facebook

The stall’s 43-year-old owner said he held the event as a gesture of appreciation to the community and a way to let elderly residents enjoy durians.

"I prepared 1200kg of durians, which is about 1,000 durians. Anyone aged 60 and above are welcome," he said, as quoted by Mothership, adding that the fruits distributed were worth more than S$10,000 (US$7,730).

The seniors could each bring home two durians, including one Mao Shan Wang (Musang King) and one of a different variety. This was supposedly the stall’s fourth time running such an event.

He said in a Facebook post that the plan had initially been to distribute 800 kilograms, but the amount grew thanks to the help of several suppliers. Volunteers were also present to help keep the crowd organized.

The owner said the unexpectedly large crowd also prompted him to hand out an additional 100 durians. The entire stock ran out by 7:20 p.m.

"There were about 500 to 600 people, but nearing the end we realized there were not enough durians," he said, noting that seniors later received only one durian each instead of two. He acknowledged that some were unhappy with this, but said it was unintended.

In a separate Facebook post after the event, Famous Durian said the giveaway aimed to "spread a little love" with "no returns, no agenda" in a world that "feels messy."

"Kindness costs nothing, but it means everything," the post read. "I hope everyone can pass this love forward and make our society a little softer."

Durian is well-loved by Singaporeans, with Musang King being the most preferred variety, according to Channel News Asia.

The city-state sources about 85% of its durians from Malaysia and, during the peak season, imports around 100,000 kilograms of the fruit per day, according to Bloomberg