According to Navy Spokesman Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya, five Sri Lankan fishermen who had eaten the contents of a bottle that was floating in the sea on Saturday had died by Sunday afternoon.
According to Xinhua news agency, a navy spokesman stated that the casualties were a part of a six-person crew that sailed from Tangalle Fisheries Harbour.
He stated that they had drunk what they thought to be alcohol after discovering the bottle some 320 nautical miles off the coast.
The fishermen on board the fishing boat called Devon, shared the contents of the bottle, and soon after, a few of them started feeling ill. At least five of the fishermen gave up the ghost, and one is in serious condition despite the basic aid provided by the Sri Lankan Navy medical crew.
Regretfully, it is thought that the crew shared the enigmatic contents of the bottle with other fishing vessels.
