Sulfuric acid may have caused a mass fish die-off in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, according to preliminary findings following laboratory tests of water samples taken from the Badam River.

Specialists detected elevated sulfate levels in the samples, pointing to an acidic environment that experts believe led to the death of aquatic life. The pollution is suspected to be linked to an industrial discharge, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

According to initial assessments, the acidic solution was released into a sewer pipe, which later ruptured. Due to the aggressive chemical composition of the wastewater, the discharge could not be stopped immediately, allowing contaminated runoff to flow into the river for several hours.

Authorities are now working to identify the enterprise responsible for the pollution. Liability will also extend to the organization that owns and maintains the damaged sewer infrastructure.

Environmental officials urged residents to treat nature responsibly and to promptly report any signs of environmental violations to the relevant services.

“Based on our analyses, specialists from the department have launched an inspection of Vodnye Resursy Marketing. It will later be determined which enterprise discharged the acidic solution. Even releasing acid into a sewer pipe is prohibited-it must be neutralized, and local treatment facilities must be in place,” said Akmaral Nysanbekova, head of the testing laboratory at Shymkent’s Department of Ecology.