Krabi City officials drowning in dead fish

KRABI: Krabi officials are scrambling to find a solution to the tens of thousands of dead fish found in a pond in Krabi City over the weekend.

The pond, which houses numerous types of fish for fishing competitions, started emanating a bad smell as the fish started to die off on Sunday.

“We tested the water for poisonous substances, but everything is normal. However, the water temperature was higher than usual,” said Krabi City Mayor Kittisak Phukaoluan. “We believe it’s because the weather is too hot and that is why the fish are dying.”

Officials believe it will take nearly two days to collect and bury the more than five tonnes of dead fish.

“As far as eliminating the smell, we will be adding EM [effective microorganisms] balls into the water,” Mr Kittisak said.

The mayor added that people are free to eat the fish that have just died, as they did not die from poor water conditions.

“We are currently discussing with experts about how best to reduce the temperature of the water and hope to find a solution quickly,” he added.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong