That part of Furness which forms a peninsula between the Leven estuary and Morecambe Bay, and the Duddon estuary, is rich in hematite iron ore, which has been worked from very early times.
The group of 16 Chinese men are believed to have been heading to Morecambe Bay to pick cockles.
This increase was attributable to the deaths of 21 migrant workers who drowned while harvesting cockles at Morecambe Bay in February this year.
Eric Morecambe, you may remember, had a massive heart attack.
Spanning the coastline of northern Lancashire and southern Cumbria, Morecambe Bay has dangerous quicksands and fast moving tides.