"Some of the water used to extinguish the fire has reached the Besos river, greatly affecting its fauna," the Catalan Water Agency which manages water resources in the northeastern region of Catalonia said in a statement. Spanish television showed images of people collecting dead carp and eels from the river, as well as of fish lying on their sides in shallow water, struggling to breathe. Officials from the water agency were taking samples of water and sediment from the river to assess the extent of the damage. Green group Ecologists in Action noted that it had previously warned of the dangers the plant posed. It said the impact of the water used to put out the blaze on the river's biodiversity was "very serious", coming after serious efforts were made to restore its fauna.

Source: The Local December 13, 2019 08:37 UTC