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chicken-eating contest offering mouthwatering total prize money of Rp 5 billion (US$384,117) turned sour on Friday when a contestant died after choking on a chicken wing.

Forty-five-year-old Fredy Jayadi died during the contest, which challenged participants to eat three chicken wings in under five minutes. The event was organized by O2 Accion in conjunction with major fast-food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).

Despite the incident, the competition had not been cancelled as of Saturday. The official Twitter account of @Menang5Miliar, which provides information for the event, stated that it would give updated news later.

Officers from the West Jakarta Police'€™s criminal unit carried out a crime-scene investigation on Saturday.

'€œOne of our findings is that the organizers failed to provide medical personnel,'€ criminal unit chief Adj. Comr. Didik Sugiarto said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Separately, Cengkareng Police criminal unit chief Adj. Comr. Taufik Iksan said the force was currently questioning all witnesses, including spectators and employees, as well as officials from O2 Accion and KFC.

'€œWe are currently questioning all witnesses, as well as those responsible for the event. We are also waiting for autopsy results,'€ Taufik said over the phone on Saturday.

He explained that the incident had taken place on Friday afternoon at a KFC outlet in Taman Semanan, West Jakarta. As he finished his third chicken wing, Fredy reportedly began choking. When drinking a glass of water failed to dislodge the fateful morsel, employees of the restaurant rushed him to a nearby clinic.

However, by the time Fredy arrived at the clinic, he was already dead, according to doctors. The dead man was taken to Kramat Jati Police Hospital in East Jakarta for an autopsy; once the autopsy was completed, Fredy was interred.

In an official statement, O2 Accion chief programming officer Budi Raharja Sulaiman acknowledged the organizer was responsible for the event and had approached KFC to propose the contest.

Fredy'€™s death, Budi said, was a '€œpure accident'€, with no suggestion of foul play.

Before the contest began, participants signed a letter declaring they were healthy, he added. Insurance was also provided by private insurance company PT Asuransi Central Asia Raya.

'€œWe will hand this case to the authorities for investigation,'€ Budi said.

According to the eating contest'€™s official website menang5miliar.com, contests were held simultaneously in 239 KFC outlets across Java and Bali. The event takes the form of an elimination model, with a grand final in July to determine the winner of the Rp 5 billion grand prize.

Representatives of KFC declined to comment, but said an official statement would be released on Sunday.

Separately, Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) chairman Tulus Abadi said in a statement that KFC had violated 1999 Law on consumer protection, which states that consumers have a right to comfort, security and safety while using goods and services.

The eating contest, Tulus argued, was clearly dangerous to consumers and posed a threat to their lives.

'€œThis eating contest serves no other purpose than to promote KFC and its products. The contest must be discontinued,'€ Tulus said.
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