Bubble trouble: 50ft tsunami of foam sweeps through village after chemical spill

• Wall of bubbles sparked panic in China’s Guangdong province as it swept along a river
• Suds are thought to have been created when a chemical was swept into the river by heavy rainfall
• Officials in Xintang said the mass of foam was ‘harmless’

This wall of foam sparked widespread panic among locals as it rushed along a river in southern China.

The mass of soapy suds blanketed the water in Xintang, in China’s Guangdong province, leading to evacuations along the banks of the river.

But officials have now said the only threat posed by the foam – thought to have been caused by chemicals washed into the river – was the possibility of ‘one or two dead fish’ lurking in the bubbles.

River of bubbles: The mass of foam sparked panic along the banks of the river in Xintang

‘Panic’: A local man is dwarfed by the mass of suds floating down a river in southern China

The bizarre scene is thought to have been caused after heavy rainfall washed a non-toxic chemical deodorant from a household rubbish tip into the river.

The bubbles were created when the chemical was swept over a waterfall, officials said.

A spokesman said: ‘People are right to be cautious but it is harmless. It made very large bubbles when it went over a waterfall, but apart from one or two dead fish, it is harmless.’

Wall of foam: The suds are thought to have been caused by a chemical spillage in Xintang in China’s Guangdong province