Mangaluru: Appearance of white foam in the seawater at Sasihithlu Beach in Kundapura, near here, has spread panic among the local people. Following which, the authorities inspected the area.

Residents had alerted the authorities after unusually heavy froth was noticed as the waves hit the shore. Soon, officers from the Environment Department and the police collected the foam for lab tests.

As per the preliminary assessment of the Environment Department, the foam was likely to have been caused by chemicals or minerals which flowed into the sea during the heavy rains experienced in the area over the previous few days. Another reason for the frothy water could be the polluted effluents from the factories located near the beach which reached the sea in the rain, said officers of the department.

Even though the foam has not affected marine creatures, including fish, people having allergies should avoid contact with the frothy water, said the Environment Department.