An oil tanker carrying furnace oil met with an accident near Joda on Saturday night.
The tanker coming from Jharguda to the Arya Steel plant at Barbil overturned while trying to negotiate Kalapahad Ghat on NH-520 due to bad road conditions and traffic problems.
The oil containing poisonous chemicals spilled in to the nearby Sona river. On Sunday morning, it was found that a large number of dead fishes and others aquatic animals were floating in the river. Besides, local residents complained of chest pain and suffocation.
Officials of Arya Steel and local police reached the spot and sought to solve the problem.