Isesaki City, Gunma Prefecture announced on the 16th that hazardous substances exceeding standard values were confirmed in factory wastewater flowing into the Kuruma River, a tributary of the Hirose River. Of these, dichloromethane was found to have a concentration 3,500 times higher than the standard value.
Although wastewater from the factory has already been stopped, the city has warned that it may affect water intake downstream, and is asking people not to enter nearby rivers until the results of a detailed investigation are known.