A dead whale measuring around 30 feet washed ashore along the Andharmanik River in Barguna’s Taltali on Wednesday, drawing crowds as authorities scrambled to determine how to dispose of the decomposing carcass.

Local residents discovered the whale in the morning after it apparently drifted from the sea during high tide overnight and became stranded on the riverbank.

Forest Department and local administration officials later arrived at the site and began assessing the carcass. The Coast Guard was also present.

The cause of the whale’s death remains unknown.

District Fisheries Officer Mohammad Zia Uddin told Daily Waadaa that the incident underscored the need for research into environmental conditions in coastal and river waters.

“Problems at any level of the aquatic environment could have caused the whale’s death,” he said, adding that scientific examination would be necessary to establish the cause.

Zia Uddin said Barguna lacks a research facility capable of conducting such an investigation.

Forest Department Taltali Range Officer Ziaur Rahman said the carcass was already badly decomposed and emitting a strong odor.

It needs to be buried to prevent further environmental pollution, he said, but the stench was making it difficult for workers to approach the carcass.

Officials from the Forest Department, local administration and Coast Guard were working to determine how to remove or bury it.

Authorities have also yet to identify the species of the large, dark-colored whale.