Watch: Millions of dead fish wash up in Australia

Videos going viral on social media platforms show dead fish floating on the Darling River in the region, marking one of the largest fish death events.

Published Date - 02:38 PM, Sun - 19 March 23

Hyderabad: The past Friday morning for some residents in Australia will be one to remember. Millions of dead fish have washed up in southeast Australia’s Menindee town, as per reports.

Videos going viral on social media platforms show dead fish floating on the Darling River in the region, marking one of the largest fish death events. Around 500 people live in the town in far-west New South Wales. The Darling-Baaka river is a part of the Murray Darling Basin, Australia’s largest river system, reported BBC.

The Department of Primary Industries said that it is the result of the ongoing heat wave in the country. In an elaborate Facebook post, they wrote, “This event is ongoing as a heatwave across western NSW continues to put further stress on a system that has experienced extreme conditions from wide-scale flooding.”

They recognise the fish species to be Bony Herring and said they can be, “more susceptible to environmental stresses like low oxygen levels, especially during extreme conditions such as increased temperatures currently being experienced in the area.”

Residents of Menindee town complained of a terrible smell from the dead fish and began small-scale cleaning drives. The local community depends on the river for various needs.