A huge amount of fish have died in the Winkamaue Creek, Oaktantar village, Paung Township, Mon State, since the beginning of the year, villagers say. Guan Shein, Oaktantar village administrator, said: On January 15, villagers informed us about the massive fish deaths in the Winkamaue Creek. We went to the lake and found that a lot of fish had died in the Creek. Later, we informed the township administrators, township medical officer as well as the vet. The district vet took a water sample on January 15 and the Township Health Department also took a sample on January 17. Medical officers said that the water contained a harmful chemical acid. The Winkamaue Creek supplies water to cultivate summer paddy and vegetables. At present, the creek has been blocked and villagers are worried about the creek. No villagers will use water from the creek. A villager said: In the creek, there have been many fish. We have never faced a massive fish death before. Dr. Khin Su Su Han from Medical Officer from Paung Township, said: Fish from an underground creek are alive. But, some that are breathing the oxygen above the creek have died. Villagers have cleared along the creek and I think a lot of fish died due to the lack of water. The fish deaths may have happened because the creek was blocked and rubbish was dumped into the creek. Witnesses have said that fishes died due to a lack of oxygen. There are more than 1,000 houses and about 7,000 people in Oaktantar village, Paung Township. Villagers in Oaktantar use four local creeks, including Winkamaue, for farming.