Dead fish found in polluted river in C. China
武汉河流发现大量死鱼 或流向市场

Thousands of dead fish have been found floating in a river in central China following a toxic spill, the latest in a series of pollution scandals to hit the country's water supplies.

The sudden appearance of large quantities of dead fish caught many residents in Wuhan unprepared.

Mr. Zhang has been fishing on the Fu River over the past decade. He says water quality has deteriorated. He finds it increasingly difficult to catch live fish.

Zhang said, "We have to stop working for a few days. The fish are all dead. We have to wait for better quality water from the upper reaches."

People say the dead fish may have something to do with pollution. And it’s not the first time they’ve found dead fish. This is confirmed by the local environmental protection bureau.

Mr. Chen with environmental protection bureau in Wuhan Huangpo district, said, "The water is not even suitable for irrigation. It’s the worst type of water."

Fortunately, the river is not a source of drinking water. Authorities are closely monitoring nearby water plants and will suspend water supplies if quality problems are detected.

On Thursday, Wuhan municipal government said volatile organic compounds and heavy metals in the water are not beyond safety limits. But ammonia and nitrogen is 155 times normal, resulting in the dead fish. The government also says the source of pollution is in the upper reaches of the river, and it’s trying to identify who is responsible.