The Sri Lanka Navy recently reported a tragic incident where five fishermen died after drinking an unknown liquid from bottles they found while fishing about 320 nautical miles from Tangalle, a southern coastal town in Sri Lanka.
According to Sri Lankan news reports, these mysterious bottles contained some form of alcohol and were shared among the crew of the fishing vessel named Devon.
After drinking the unknown liquid, several crew members started feeling sick.
Despite receiving basic medical assistance from Sri Lanka Navy personnel on the boat, five fishermen died, and one is still in critical condition.
It is believed that the bottles were also shared with other fishing boats.
Public Outcry
The incident has sparked protests in Tangalle, where the families of the deceased fishermen blamed the Sri Lankan Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources for the tragedy.
They demanded that the remaining fishermen be brought back to land for proper medical treatment.
Two other fishermen who consumed the toxic liquid received emergency treatment aboard a Singaporean merchant ship.
However, the exact number of bottles found by Devon’s crew and how many were shared with others is unclear.
The Navy is making efforts to contact all ships that Devon’s crew interacted with since it set sail on June 4. Sri Lankan authorities are working to prevent further deaths and to locate any additional bottles that might be in circulation.
