Aerial view showing thousands of dead fish due to drought next to workers spreading lime to desinfect in the Bustillos Lagoon, near Anahuac, Chihuahua State, Mexico, taken on June 12, 2024. According to local authorities, the water levels of the Bustillos Lagoon are extremely low due to the high temperatures in recent days that exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, a phenomenon attributed to climate change. Agence France-Presse
ANÁHUAC, Mexico — Thousands of fish have died as a lagoon in northern Mexico partly dried up amid a crippling drought plaguing the country.
The Bustillos lagoon was below 50 percent of its normal water level, local authorities said Wednesday, meaning pollutants were more concentrated and hazardous to the species that inhabit it.
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Dead fish started piling up in the lake bed’s cracked mud a week ago, and a foul smell hung over the area Wednesday as workers cleaned up the decomposing remains amid fears they could spread disease.
Aerial view showing thousands of dead fish due to drought in the Bustillos Lagoon, near Anahuac, Chihuahua State, Mexico, taken on June 5, 2024. According to local authorities, the water levels of the Bustillos Lagoon are extremely low due to the high temperatures in recent days that exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, a phenomenon attributed to climate change. Agence France-Presse
Mexico as a whole has been battling high temperatures with a dozen cities, including the capital, breaking heat records.
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Health authorities say 125 people have died in the current hot season, which started mid-March.