canberra, Residents of a regional town in Australia were woken up to the sight of millions of dead fish in a river in the morning. According to a BBC report, a large scale fish death (Fish Died in Australia) was reported on Friday morning in the New South Wales (NSW) town of Menindee. The state’s river authority said it was a result of the ongoing heatwave affecting the Darling-Baka River.

According to the BBC report, locals say that this is the biggest incident of fish death in the city, which saw another major mass death of fish three years ago. In a Facebook post, the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) said the heatwave had serious consequences. Heatwaves effects are more frequent, more intense and last longer due to human-induced climate change. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments around the world make drastic cuts in emissions.

Speaking to the BBC, Menindi resident Graeme McCrabb described the deaths as “surreal”. About 500 people live in the town in far-west New South Wales. The Darling-Baka River is a part of the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia’s largest river system. The NSW DPI also said that the death of the fish was distressing for the local community. McCrabb said that local people in the regional city rely on the Darling-Baka for their water supply. People use the river water for washing and bathing, so now residents will not be able to use that water again for their basic needs.

The Murray Darling Basin Authority stated that agriculture, industries and communities have used water from the river system, resulting in less water flowing through the river. In 2012, an A$13bn (£8.45bn at the time) plan was implemented to try and stop the river drying up and to bring it back to healthy levels.

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Tags: Australia, Died, Fish, world news