Five workers died due to asphyxiation, or lack of oxygen, at a fish processing plant in Karnataka, Manguluru police informed.

Commissioner of Mangaluru police, N Shashi Kumar said on Monday that the five workers, who were from West Bengal died at the plant.

The incident took place at Sri Ulka LLP in the Mangaluru Special Economic Zone at around 7 pm on Sunday, Kumar informed.

He said that one of the workers fell inside a waste collection tank and went unconscious inside it.

Kumar said, “To save him, seven other labourers entered the tank and they too fell unconscious. They were shifted to the AJ Hospital where three died last night. Two others died in the ICU this morning.”

All of the deceased are West Bengal natives between the age of 20 and 22 years. The commissioner also informed that three others in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were out of danger.

“We have registered a case under Section 304 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) against the manager and supervisor. Production manager Ruby Joseph, area manager Kuber Gade and supervisors Mohammed Anwar and Farukh have been taken into custody and are being interrogated,” he said.

"It's a very serious issue because five people have lost their lives," Kumar added.