On May 28, Mr. Bui Dinh Vuong (resident in hamlet 13, Xuan Du commune, Thanh Hoa province) said that tons of tilapia farmed at Dong Lay lake, hamlet 5, Hop Tien commune suddenly died, floating white on the lake surface.
According to Mr. Vuong, at the beginning of 2026, the family contracted the Dong Lay lake area and invested more than 1.8 billion VND to raise tilapia for export. When there was only about a month left until harvest time, mass fish deaths occurred.
In the morning of May 28 alone, there were about 4 tons of dead fish. I had to hire people to pick up the fish and bury them to avoid environmental pollution. Initial estimated damage is more than 120 million VND," Mr. Vuong said.
According to the fish pond owner, the family had previously taken water samples for testing and the results showed that the indicators were all normal. However, he suspected that someone had poured pesticides into the pond or the water source was contaminated, causing the fish to die abnormally.
Mr. Vuong also said that a few weeks ago, in the area of Xuan Du commune, there was a situation of mass natural fish deaths in streams. The family's fish farming pond is located about 2km from this area, so it is possible that the water source is polluted, affecting the farming pond.
Currently, the family is very confused, hoping that functional agencies will soon inspect and verify the cause so that people can rest assured," Mr. Vuong said.
According to a representative of Hop Tien Commune People's Committee, the locality has grasped the information about the incident and sent officials to the scene to inspect and take water samples to serve the cause verification work.
Currently, the incident has also been reported to the police agency for coordination in investigation and clarification.
Previously, in villages 7, 8 and 10 of Xuan Du commune, there was a phenomenon of mass fish deaths in the stream flowing through Can Khe 1 bridge area, causing people to worry.
Through initial inspection, functional agencies determined that a local resident used water to wash a plastic drum that used to contain gasoline and oil, then let wastewater flow into the drainage ditch. Functional forces have sealed the drum and taken water samples for testing, and there are currently no final results.
