Nearly 45,000 animals have died as a result of a toxic train crash this month in an Ohio town, environmental officials have said.
The figure from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources updates the initial estimate of 3,500 animals dead after the 3 February derailment.
The toll was all recorded within a 5-mile radius of the crash site, officials said.
According to the BBC clean-up efforts continue in East Palestine amid a federal inquiry.
A total of 38 cars derailed in the crash, 11 of which were carrying hazardous materials. Residents later reported feeling unwell.
Mary Mertz, who directs the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said in a news conference on Thursday that all of the 43,700 animals found dead were aquatic species and that there is no evidence that any terrestrial animals were killed by the train’s chemicals.
None of the animals were believed to be endangered or threatened species. Some live fish have already been seen returning to one of the waterways affected by the train derailment.
