Hundreds of fish have washed up on a shore in a river in western Romania sparking an investigation by water authorities.
Observers say the dead fish were first spotted late Saturday in the West Jiu River near the town of Aninoasa, News.ro reported.
Officials from Romanian Waters (Apele Romane) on Sunday took water samples to determine the cause of the deaths. The samples have been sent to a laboratory.
There is speculation that a toxic substance was released into the river, a tributary of the Jiul River. It is 54 kilometers long.
Dozens of dead fish were spotted in different points along the river.
Many of the dead fish appeared near Preparatia Coroiesti, a old coal preparing plant in the mining town of Vulcan.
Photos of the lifeless fish some of which were floating in shallow water were posted on social media.
The Jiu River flows into the Danube which flows into the Black Sea.
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