The ecological disaster in the Oder river leaves more than a hundred tons of dead fish in Poland and Germany

BERLIN/WARSAW, Aug. 17 (DPA/EP) –

The authorities estimate that the ecological disaster in the Oder River, whose origin is still being investigated in Poland, has caused the death of more than a hundred tons of fish in this country and in neighboring Germany.

Polish firefighters estimate that almost a hundred tons have been removed from the Oder and another nearby river, while German Environment Minister Steffi Lemke confirmed another 36 tons of dead fish on the German side on Wednesday.

The Polish government points to a spill as a possible source of contamination, although it offers a reward of one million zlotys (about 214,000 euros) in exchange for information that helps clarify the cause of what, according to environmental organizations, is the biggest disaster environment that the country suffers in years.

The Polish Prosecutor’s Office has questioned more than 200 witnesses and has visited 12 different enclaves to try to advance the investigations, according to Deputy Attorney General Krzysztof Sierak. Help has also been requested in recent days from foreign laboratories.