A dead fish in the East Lake in Wuhan, Hubei province, on August 20, 2012.
Hundreds of thousands of fish have died in the central Chinese province of Hubei after a chemical leak into a river, officials say.
According to local sources on Wednesday, about 100,000 kilograms of dead fish were gathered from the Fu River, located in the capital city of Wuhan.
Local environmental officials say the chemical discharge took place on September 2, after a drain outlet at the Hubei Shuanghuan Science and Technology chemical manufacturer.
Xinhua news agency said that local government investigations have found ammonia levels “far in excess of the national standard” at a drain outlet.
Also, an operator with the surname Xiao told AFP that most areas in the river have been cleared of the dead fish, including carp, chub, and snakehead.
Officials have warned villagers not to eat the dead fish.
The company did not immediately comment on the issue.
The incident is thought to have an impact on some 2,000 local villagers who earn their living largely from fishing.
Earlier this year, over 16,000 dead pigs were found in a river serving as one of the country’s drinking water sources in the populated city of Shanghai.
China has come under pressure over recent food safety and environmental pollution troubles as a result of poor enforcement of regulations.