In a tragic incident, two fishermen died and four others became unconscious due to the stench of rotting fish in the storage chamber of a fishing boat at New Fish Jetty near Bhaucha Dhakka.
According to information from the Yellow Gate police, when the fishermen went fishing on the boat Anjani Putra IND-MH-7-MM-1664, they entered the storage chamber to retrieve the fish. Unfortunately, one after another, the individuals entering the chamber started losing consciousness.
Fish caught 12 days still stored in chamber
A police officer stated that the boat had gone into the sea for fishing 12 days ago and returned to shore at 2 am on Tuesday. The fish caught during this period was stored in the chamber.
At 11 am, workers from Solapur Street in Danabandar went to the chamber to unload fish from the boat. Two people, 34-year-old Seena Yadav and 28-year-old N Rangaswamy, who entered the chamber, experienced difficulty breathing and collapsed. They were taken to JJ Hospital for treatment, where doctors declared them dead.
Fishermen who went to rescue the previous two fall unconscious
Port Zone DCP Sanjay Latkar mentioned that when the first two men struggled to exit the chamber, others went in to rescue them. Unfortunately, all those who entered were exposed to poisonous gases. They remain in critical condition.
An anonymous fisherman revealed that after catching fish in the sea, they are kept covered with ice in a chamber on the boat to maintain freshness. However, if not properly covered, offal and small fish can rot, producing harmful gases.
Police registers accidental death case
Police have registered a case of accidental death and initiated an investigation. Port Zone DCP Sanjay Latkar stated that prima facie, it appears that the fish had been kept in the boat for an extended period, leading to gas formation due to rotting. Further investigation is ongoing.
The other injured individuals have been identified as Suresh Mekla, Pampapati Yadav, Guruswami Yadav, and Suresh Yadav.
Vajamma, the cousin of the injured Mekla, mentioned that Rangaswami's wife, who is from their native place, is pregnant, and the couple already has two small children. He also shared that Seena Yadav also has two children.
