Fishermen in India are on edge following a series of deaths that have been attributed to an infamous phenomenon called the Aleya ghost lights. According to a local media report, the mysterious spherical illuminations have been seen hovering over marshlands in the state of West Bengal for generations. The baffling balls of light carry with them a frightening reputation as, over the last 100 years, nearly 50 fishermen have perished in incidents later blamed on encounters with the eerie phenomenon thought by many to be the spirits of individuals who met a similar unfortunate fate.

Recently, five additional deaths and the testimony of one lucky man who escaped his encounter with the Aleya ghost lights have put the phenomenon back on the proverbial front pages in West Bengal. While heading home from a day's work earlier this month, fisherman Ratan Das recounted the experience that left him shaken to his core. "I saw three bright lights floating just above the water," he recalled, "they were blue-green, like nothing I've ever seen." Chillingly, the fisherman observed, the illuminations "seemed to follow me and I lost my way completely." It was only when the sun rose that Das could discern the location of the shore and managed to safely escape the strange situation that he likened to a "dance with death."

The fisherman's story, the spate of recent deaths attributed to the ghost lights, and a staggering 300% increase in sighting reports over the last few weeks have understandably drawn interest from researchers and paranormal enthusiasts alike. Scientists such as atmospheric physicist Dr. Anirban Ghosh, who has long studied the phenomenon, believe that the illuminations are brought about by swamp gas. However, even the esteemed professor from Jadavpur University conceded that the hypothesis for how the lights form "doesn't explain the coordinated movement patterns or why they seem to respond to human presence."

Sensing the opportunity to learn more about the ghost lights and perhaps even solve the mystery behind the age-old phenomenon, state officials plan to systematically study the illuminations using "a network of monitoring devices throughout the affected marshlands." Meanwhile, authorities have pledged to step up patrols of the worrisome waters as one police superintendent observed "whether supernatural or natural, these lights are leading people to their deaths, and we cannot ignore that reality." A similar tone was struck by a local official who mused that "for generations, our people have lived with these lights. They're part of our identity, our folklore, but when they start taking lives, we must act."