Three fishermen died and two others were rescued after they reportedly lost consciousness while cleaning a fish storage compartment aboard a fishing boat at Tadadi port in Karnataka’s Uttara Kannada district on Tuesday, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle. One of the rescued fishermen was reported to be in critical condition.
The incident occurred at Tadadi port in Kumta taluk after the fishing boat returned from the sea with its catch. The fishermen had entered the enclosed storage compartment to unload the fish and later began cleaning it, when they reportedly experienced breathing difficulties.
The deceased were identified as Naushad, 48, Ameen, 40, and Aman, 26, according to sources cited in the report. The two other fishermen were rescued after the incident. The report did not specify how long the men had been inside the compartment before they began experiencing difficulty breathing.
Enclosed fish storage compartments can present serious risks when workers enter them, particularly during cleaning or unloading operations. The incident highlights the immediate safety challenges faced by fishing crews working in confined spaces aboard vessels, although the exact cause of the deaths has not yet been established in the supplied report.
Tadadi port serves fishing activity along the Uttara Kannada coast, where boats return with catches that must be unloaded, sorted and stored before further handling. Those tasks require workers to move repeatedly between open decks and enclosed compartments, making access, ventilation and emergency rescue important operational concerns. The report, however, does not provide details about the boat’s ventilation arrangements, safety equipment or the circumstances under which the fishermen entered the compartment.
A case has been registered at Gokarna police station. The police investigation is expected to establish the precise sequence of events and determine the cause of death. Further details on the condition of the rescued fishermen and the findings of the investigation were not available in the supplied report.
