Three fishermen dead, three critical after drinking poisonous liquid mistaken for alcohol at sea

Three out of the six fishermen who went to sea from Tangalle fishing harbor have died after consuming a poisonous drink, mistaking it for alcohol.

It is reported that the six fishermen were aboard the multi-day fishing vessel “Devon 5” which had departed from Tangalle fishing harbor.

The incident occurred last night (June 28) when they found some bottles floating in the sea and believed them to contain alcohol. After drinking from the bottles, they became ill.

Susantha Kahawatta, Director General of the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, said:

“Medical teams are providing first aid instructions through the message exchange system. We don’t have enough time to send a vessel from land as they are in very deep sea. Efforts are being made to transfer them to a passing ship. Currently, we have information that some of the bottles found by these fishermen have been distributed to other vessels in the vicinity. We are now raising awareness about this danger.”