The number of dead pigs found in a river in China continues to increase as more carcasses are pulled from the water.
Reports Sunday that several hundred pig carcasses were found in the river over the weekend have been overtaken and total has risen to more than 2,800 and expected to grow, according to The New York Times.
The Huangpu River flows through the heart of Shanghai and many city residents now fear the dead pigs have contaminated the city's tap water.
Officials are reportedly trying to determine who dumped the pigs into the water; some reports have stated the pigs had probably been dumped by farmers.
Pig carcasses were first discovered in the river last Thursday and the numbers increased quickly over the weekend; the number of dead pigs found is expected to increase as barges looking for pigs return to Shanghai, the Times reported.
State and waterworks officials claim Shanghai's tap water still meets potability standards. Water quality is being monitored by the hour, the article said.
"So far, water quality has not been affected, but we have to remove the pigs as quickly as possible and can't let their bodies rot in the water," Xu Rong, the director of Shanghai's Songjiang District Environmental Protection Bureau said, according to the Times.
A sample of river water tested positive for porcine circovirus, which can be found in pigs, but does not spread to humans, according the the report, which cited Xinhua, the official state news agency in China.
Samples of the dead pigs have been sent to an agricultural commission to determine what killed them. Results are expected within three days, the report stated.
According to reports, both piglets and adult pigs weighing hundreds of pounds were found. Most of the pigs were discovered in an area southwest of downtown Shanghai, where residents reported it was not the first time they had seen dead pigs in Huangpu River.
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