A chemical plant spill in China killed hundreds of thousands of fish in the Fu River, continuing concern of environmental standards and safety in Chinese provinces, according to the Global Post.
Officials said on Wednesday that about 100,000 kilograms of fish were scooped out of the river in Wuhan and would perform "local government investigations."
The Xinhua news agency reported that the ammonia levels leaked from the chemical manufacturer, Hubei Shuanghuan Science and Technology, are "far in excess of the national standard."
A local environmental official said that most fish affected were carp, chub, and snakehead. He also said most efforts to clear the dead fish in the river had been completed.
The polluted fish severely affected the 2,000 villages in the area, where most residents make their living off of fishing.
Wang Sanqing, Communist Party secretary of the nearby Huanghualao village, said some of the 150 fishing boats from the villages could lose up to 70,000 yuan ($11,400) per day.
"The dead fish covered the entire river and looked like snowflakes," Sanqing added.
The Hubei environmental department told residents not to eat the dead fish but said drinking the water was safe. They also ordered the chemical manufacturing company to suspend their work and fix the problem that caused such detrimental pollution.
A total number of fish was not released by the environmental department -- officials simply said it was "a great number of fish."
The chemical company has not commented on the issue.
The incredible amount of poisoned fish only adds to China's poor environmental reputation. Earlier this year, 16,000 dead pigs were recovered from the Huangpu River, which runs through Shanghai, and caused concern about the safety of drinking water as the river functions as a source of tap water.
An outspoken poet in the area called for a protest over the pigs but was quickly interrogated by police.
