In a tragic incident, five labourers from West Bengal died and three are said to be critical after a poisonous gas leak was reported at a fish factory in Mangaluru. According to the police, the incident occured late on Sunday, April 17. The deceased have been identified as Ummar Farooq, Samiulla Islam, Nizamuddin Saaz, Mirzul Islam, and Sharafath Ali. Mirajulla Islam, Azan Ali, Karibulla, and Afthal Mallik are said to be in a critical state. The workers all hailed from West Bengal.

The injured workers are being treated at a private hospital in the city. The Ulka LLP fish processing factory is located in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the Bajpe police station limits in Mangaluru. The tragedy took place while the fish waste was being processed and the tank was being cleaned on Sunday night.

The leak was noticed when one of the workers, Sameerulla, went inside the tank to clean it. Upon inhaling the gas, he fainted, prompting eight others to come to his aide. However, they inhaled the poisonous gas as well, and collapsed. The tank is about 20-feet deep, and contains fish waste. Police suspect that the poisonous gas emanated from the processing of the fish waste.

Mangaluru Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Hari Ram Shankar rushed to the spot and authorities directed the factory management to halt the work. According to local media outlets, four factory officials including the production manager, area manager, supervisor and the factory in-charge have been taken into custody for further questioning. The reports also state that a case has been booked under sections 337 (Punishment for those who cause hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life), 338 (Causing grievous hurt to others through rash or negligent actions), 304 (Culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

With IANS inputs