Bhatkal: Three fishermen who died after allegedly inhaling toxic gas inside a fishing boat at Tadri port in Kumta taluk of Uttara Kannada district were buried on Wednesday. Karnataka Fisheries Minister S. Basavanthappa visited the bereaved families and handed over compensation cheques of ₹10 lakh each on behalf of the state government.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening after the catch had been unloaded from the boat and the fishermen entered its fish storage compartment to clean it. The gas is suspected to have accumulated from decomposing fish inside the enclosed space, leaving the men unconscious.
Other fishermen rushed to their rescue and took all four men to a nearby hospital. However, three of them died, while the fourth, who was seriously injured, was shifted to a hospital in Manipal for further treatment. His condition was reportedly stable.
The deceased were identified as Naushad Ali Shah Raja (35) and Amir Abdul Unchalli (20), both residents of Heni, and Aman Ayub (18), a resident of Onalli in Kumta taluk. All three were working on the fishing boat.
Aman was buried at Onalli at around 11 am on Wednesday. The funeral prayers for Naushad and Amir were held at Farooqi Masjid in Heni on Wednesday afternoon, following which they were laid to rest at a nearby cemetery.
Naushad is survived by his wife and a daughter, while Amir leaves behind his wife, two sons and a daughter. Aman’s elder brother is also engaged in fishing. Aman had a younger sister, and their father is physically disabled.
Fisheries Minister S. Basavanthappa visited Kumta on Wednesday morning to meet the bereaved families and offer his condolences. He handed over cheques for ₹10 lakh each to the families of the three deceased as compensation from the state government.
The tragedy has cast a pall of gloom over the fishing community in Kumta, Ankola, Honnavar and Bhatkal.
A case has been registered at Gokarna police station in connection with the incident.