Dhaka, March 6 -- Various species of fish and aquatic animals have started floating to the surface of the Karnaphuli River under the influence of waste stemming from melted raw sugar burnt in a fire at the S Alam Group warehouse in Chattogram.

Big fish are rare in the pollution-hit river. Hundreds of people gathered to fish on both sides of the river on Wednesday after witnessing the unusual sight.

Experts said the level of oxygen in the water dropped due to the waste from the burnt sugar and so fish and other aquatic species are floating to the surface due to the lack of sufficient oxygen.

The river has been largely devoid of large fish for the past decade due to pollution over the years. The few species of small fish that survive in ...