Balasore, March 23 Two crew members of a mechanized boat died on Monday after allegedly inhaling toxic fumes while unloading fish at a jetty near Chandipur beach in Odisha's Balasore district, police said.
The incident occurred at the Naupalgadi fishing jetty in Balaramgadi. The deceased were identified as Pravakar Mallick and Sashina Mallick, residents of Aruha village in the Bhadrak district.
The two men fell unconscious after entering the fish storage chamber of the boat shortly after it anchored at the jetty, police said. They were rushed to the Balasore District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors pronounced them dead.
Officials said asphyxiation is suspected, although the exact cause of death will be known after the post-mortem examination.
"Fishermen sometimes use chemicals to preserve fish for longer periods. If used in excess, toxic gases may accumulate inside enclosed spaces like the chamber," an official said.
