Two Sri Lankans among three found dead in South Korean fish farm water tank

Three workers, including two Sri Lankans, were found dead inside a water tank at a land-based fish farm in Goseong County, South Gyeongsang, South Korea, prompting a police investigation.

The South Gyeongsang Police Agency said Monday that the bodies of a site supervisor in his 50s and two Sri Lankan workers in their 20s and 30s were discovered at around 8:30 p.m. Sunday inside a large reservoir tank at the fish farm.

The tank, measuring four meters wide, three meters long, and two meters deep, was reportedly filled with water at the time. The facility breeds juvenile fish, and the tank where the workers were found served as a storage reservoir, supplying water to the breeding tanks. Water in the reservoir is heated or cooled using electric devices before being pumped into the breeding areas.

The reservoir is accessible only via a ladder descending from an opening just large enough for one adult to pass through. Police were first alerted at 7:38 p.m. by the family of the site supervisor, who reported losing contact with him. Officers then checked the site and discovered the bodies.

One of the Sri Lankan workers was reportedly wearing work clothing, while the other two were in regular clothes. An autopsy is planned to determine the exact cause of death.

“It remains unclear whether the workers were cleaning the tank at the time,” a police official said. “We are currently considering various possibilities, including an industrial accident.”