Shanghai, China: Dead pigs are washing up by the thousands, leading to fears of water contamination

BEIJING (AP) -- The number of dead pigs retrieved from waters in and near China's financial hub of Shanghai has reached nearly 12,000.

The upstream city of Jiaxing -- where small hog farms are prevalent -- reported Friday night that it had recovered 3,601 dead pigs from its streams, according to state media.

In Shanghai, authorities have retrieved 8,354 swollen and rotting carcasses from Huangpu river, which provides the metropolis with drinking water. The dead pigs are largely believed to be from Jiaxing, but Zhao Shumei, a deputy vice mayor, said it was inconclusive to say all the pigs were from her city.

Both Shanghai, a city of 23 million people, and Jiaxing say there's been no swine epidemic and that tap water remains safe, but local residents remain worried about water contamination.