Thousands of dead fish have washed up on a beach in northern Japan.
The fish, mostly made up of sardines and some mackerel, washed ashore in Hakodate on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido on Thursday, covering a stretch of beach about half a mile long.
Local residents said they have never seen anything like it and have been urged not to consume the fish.
Pic: AP
The cause of the incident remains unknown, but Takashi Fujioka, a Hakodate Fisheries Research Institute researcher, suggested the animals may have become exhausted while being chased by larger fish.
He said a lack of oxygen while moving in a densely packed group could have led to them washing up on the shore.
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
The incident coincides with sardine migration southwards, Mr Fujioka said, adding that the fish may have suddenly entered cold waters.
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He said he has heard of similar phenomena before, but had never seen it in real life.