Hundreds of fish have died after a huge foam wall 13ft high polluted a previously ‘flourishing’ river.
The rotting fish were found in the River Tame following a blaze at a cleaning products factory near Oldham, Greater Manchester.
Walkers later spotted piles of foam, which according to the Environment Agency were caused by water run-off after it was used to put out the flames.
Shocking images show huge stacks of foam likened to icebergs covering the water.
Craig Hannah, 57, lives near the river and witnessed the blaze, which began at around 7.30am on Sunday close to a Tesco superstore.
Residents were evacuated but have since been allowed to return to their homes.
He said: ‘I was worried by the fire as I only live around 70m from it. Luckily we were downwind.’
But the countryside warden became concerned about the extent of the foam in the river after hearing about dead fish in the nearby River Tame, a tributary of the Mersey.
Craig Hannah, 57, was shocked to find ‘icebergs’ of foam 13ft high polluting the River Tame after a fire at an industrial unit in Greenfield, a village near Oldham
The ‘foambergs’ stretched across the river, but soon began dispersing downstream, according to the Environment Agency
‘Living very close to the site, smoke and the chemical smell still being in the air, the following day I decided to take a walk down the river and see for myself the extent of the foam,’ he said.
‘I did not see any dead fish myself, but the foam in some areas was staggering, up to 4m high and 10m long in places where it got trapped in overhanging branches.’
He said further down the river he could see that the foam had begun ‘slowly disappearing, almost like icebergs in the Arctic’.
‘I am really sad at the potential implications of the run-off pollution,’ he said.
‘Over the years I have seen the whole valley flourish, stretches of river where there were no fish now full of specimen fish of many species, plus the general wildlife you associate with a river environment.
‘I just hope that reports of dead fish were was short-lived and most of the river ecology has survived.’
The unit destroyed in the fire was used to make and package cleaning products such as baby wipes and air fresheners.
On Monday a spokesman for the Environment Agency said: ‘Our officers worked with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to respond to a fire in Oldham yesterday.
Fire crews tackling the industrial unit blaze in Greenfield, near Oldham, Greater Manchester, on Sunday
‘Although containment measures were taken, some firewater run-off entered the River Tame.
‘Officers recorded several hundred dead fish in the affected area, however this morning they found no additional fish fatalities.’
The agency said surface foam ‘remained visible’ but that it ‘appears to be dispersing downstream’.
They also said: ‘We will continue to monitor the situation and assess any ongoing environmental impacts.’
