Teenager swallows 100 Temu magnets in New Zealand, undergoes surgery

A 13-year-old boy underwent a surgery in New Zealand after swallowing up to 100 magnets he reportedly purchased on the e-commerce platform Temu.

The teenager, whose name has not been disclosed, was admitted to Tauranga Hospital on the North Island following four days of severe abdominal pain, according to doctors.

A report published in the New Zealand Medical Journal stated that the boy ingested approximately 80 to 100 neodymium magnets, each measuring 5x2mm, about a week earlier.

These magnets were banned in New Zealand in January 2013. The boy purchased these through Temu.

Medical imaging revealed the magnets had aligned in four straight lines within the boy’s intestines. “These appeared to be in separate sections of the bowel adhered together due to magnetic forces,” the hospital report noted.

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The intense pressure caused by the magnets led to necrosis—tissue death—in four areas of the small intestine and the caecum, part of the large intestine. Surgeons successfully removed the affected tissue and retrieved the magnets. 

The boy was discharged after an eight-day hospital stay.

Temu issued a statement expressing concern over the incident. “We are sorry to learn of the boy’s surgery,” the company said. “We have launched an internal review and contacted the authors of the New Zealand Medical Journal report to gather more details."

In a statement, the e-commerce platform said: "Following the report, we contacted the New Zealand Medical Journal to learn more about the case. According to the editors, the 13-year-old teenager reported that the magnets were purchased from Temu, but we have not been able to independently verify this."

"As a precaution, we reviewed the photo of the magnets published in the Journal and checked listings of similar products on our platform," it added. "The magnets currently available are compliant with New Zealand regulations, and such products are also sold through other major online and physical retailers."

"While these products are lawful to sell, they can be dangerous if swallowed and we support efforts to raise public awareness about magnet safety. As a third-party marketplace, Temu requires all sellers to comply with applicable laws and safety standards, and we act promptly to remove any listings found to be non-compliant."