Sanitation workers in Binh Dinh Province, south-central Vietnam on Saturday collected a large volume of dead fish which blanketed a local balancing lake from Friday night.

The mass fish die-off took place in the Bau Sen balancing lake, located in the heart of the provincial capital city of Quy Nhon.

The number of dead fish which were found floating in the lake kept rising significantly from Friday night to Saturday morning, according to Nguyen Van Cong, a local man residing near the lake area.

Aside from the dead fish, mostly carp and tilapia, a huge number of fish were floating and gasping for air at the surface of the lake.

After being notified of the mass fish death, Binh Dinh Environment JSC sent a team of workers to the scene to begin a clean-up.

Mass fish kills often occur as a result of changes in weather conditions, according to the environment protection division under the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

When seasons change, the mud layers at the bottom of the lake are disturbed, the number of organic pollutants rises, while the amount of oxygen in the water dwindles, resulting in the death of fish, the division explained.

Several lakes in Binh Dinh experienced similar changes last year, the division elaborated, adding that localities in the province need to regularly clean up rivers, streams, and ponds in their respective areas to reduce water pollution.

The department emphasized the importance of regularly dredging the mud at the bottom of the Bau Sen balancing lake, which was intended to retain rainwater before releasing it into the Thi Nai Lagoon and the sea.

A few days ago, some 200 metric tons of foul-smelling dead fish were removed from Song May Reservoir in Dong Nai Province, southern Vietnam.

Senior Lieutenant Le Minh Tan, head of a seafood farming team under the Military Command of Dong Nai Province, said on Thursday that a massive clean-up of dead fish had been completed.

A report from local authorities showed that prolonged heat has caused the water level of Song May Reservoir to drop significantly, leaving many areas exposed.

Moreover, owing to an unrelenting heatwave, the water of the lake was prioritized for release to water some 800 hectares of crops downstream, causing the water to recede to the dead level.

The lake has lost its volume, with the water surface area shrinking to two hectares from 196 hectares, while the deepest level of water measured one meter, leading to a massive fish kill.

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