Two fishermen lost their lives, while four others are in critical condition after being exposed to harmful gases emanating from rotting fish offal. The Yellow Gate police have registered a case of accidental death in connection with the incident.
The unfortunate incident unfolded when the fishing boat named Anjani Putra, which had been at sea for 12 days, docked at the new fish jetty. In the early hours of the morning, workers from the fishing community in Dana Bandar went to unload the fish. Around 11 am, two of the workers, identified as Seena Yadav, 34, and N Rangaswamy, 28, experienced difficulty breathing due to the overpowering stench of the decaying fish offal and later succumbed to suffocation.
Fellow fishermen and neighbours revealed that the fish, brought in from the sea, is typically stored in special units below the deck, adequately iced to maintain freshness. However, in one unit where small fish, offal, and other by-products are collected for pesticide production, inadequate refrigeration led to the rotting of offal and the release of harmful gases.
Yellow Gate police officials explained that as the initial two workers struggled to exit the underdeck unit, four others attempted to rescue them, leading to all six individuals being exposed to poisonous gases. Despite efforts, Seena Yadav and N Rangaswamy passed away before reaching JJ Hospital, while the remaining four, identified as Suresh Mekla, Pampapati Yadav, Guruswamy Yadav, and Suresh Yadav, are currently battling for their lives.
The entire community is now grappling with the aftermath of this tragic incident, prompting authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the exposure to the harmful gases.
