Dhaka, Dec. 12 -- Two Bangladeshi migrants have reportedly died after mistakenly drinking petrol during a journey by sea from Libya to Greece.

According to the Bangladesh Embassy in Athens, the group had gone without food for nearly two days and, in a state of extreme hunger and thirst, drank petrol, believing it to be water.

Four others fell seriously ill, one of whom suffered kidney damage and required dialysis.

In a statement, the embassy said it learnt of the incident on Nov 28 after being contacted by a hospital on the Greek island of Crete. Hospital officials said around 40 Bangladeshis had left Libya on Nov 26 in a small boat bound for Greece.

Midway through the journey, the plastic boat developed a leak and began taking in wat...