Dead fish wash up on a riverbank in drought-hit Iraq

Thousands of dead fish have washed ashore in southeast Iraq, prompting an official investigation into the wildlife disaster that officials said Monday may be linked to drought conditions.

Thousands of small fish washed up on the banks of the AmshanRiver in Majar al-Kabir, an area in Maysan province that borders Iran.Iraq's agriculture ministry on Sunday announced it was forming a committee to look into the causes of the fish deaths.

Environmental campaigner said "a rise in temperatures" leading to increased evaporation, coupled with reduced water flow contributed to "a lack of oxygen and high salinity" in the river.Iraq is ranked by the United Nations as one of the world's five countries most impacted by some effects of climate change.