2 October 2019

A man has died in Papua New Guinea after eating a fish caught near the site of a massive nickel refinery spill, however the mine's Chinese operator denies the accident caused his death.

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The spill caused the bay to turn bright red, and officials say dead fish and at least one dolphin have washed up along the Madang coastline in recent weeks.

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However, local authorities have already moved to ban people from eating or selling fish caught in the province following the man's death and the fish kills, and have requested a post-mortem examination.

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However a medical officer quoted in the national Post-Courier newspaper, who said he treated the man, claimed he had eaten a poisonous puffer fish.

The medical officer was not named in the article, but said attempts to resuscitate the man had failed.

The company itself has also denied the spill was responsible for the man's death or the fish kills, and said it would not accept responsibility until the provincial government provided scientific proof.

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The managing director of PNG's Mineral Resources Authority told the ABC in August the slurry included heavy metals, which were "very toxic" and "very acidic".