Fifty incidents of beachgoers stung by a freak spell of marine creatures recorded on Saturday; lifeguards advise tourists to not enter the sea
A woman helps her son who was stung by the blue bottle jellyfish (right)
It was a bad day for Mumbaikars at the beach on Saturday. Around 40 to 50 incidents of stinging due to marine creatures were reported right from Aksa Beach in Malad to Girgaum Chowpatty. It was later found that they were stung by the Portuguese man o' war, also called as the blue bottle jellyfish.
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On Saturday morning, tourists, who had entered the waters in Aksa, complained to the lifeguards about a stinging sensation on their legs. Lifeguard Nathuram Suryavanshi from Aksa said, "We have been aware about the blue bottle jellyfish washing ashore and so we have been requesting people not to venture into the water. On Saturday, some people who had entered the waters complained to us that something had bitten them. They were confused as they did not know what had happened. We explained to them that there were not in danger but as a precautionary measure, they should be rushed to the hospital."
Suryavanshi also said that the lifeguards informed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) disaster management control room at around 4 pm. Following this, BMC officials along with local police reached the spot and prevented more people from entering the water.
The blue bottle jellyfish is an uncommon sight on Mumbai shores, and seen more in Australia, where they are known to sting beachgoers with their long tentacles. Pradip Patade, who belongs to a shore-side wildlife interest group called Marine Life of Mumbai, said, "First aid measures involve removing the thread-like blue tentacles by pouring sea water which is nearby. Victims should stay calm because the pain is unbearable and, if possible, put hot water up to a bearable level on the infected area. Visit a nearby hospital for further treatment."
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