(MENAFN) Over 320 seal carcasses were discovered Tuesday along the Caspian Sea shoreline stretching between the Sulak River estuary and the Terek River in Dagestan, a southwestern Russian republic, according to a news agency reporting from the scene.

The death toll may climb higher as search operations continue along the affected coastline, the report indicated, referencing statements from regional emergency response services monitoring the situation.

Previously, the Dagestan Ministry of Natural Resources acknowledged that Caspian seal fatalities occur with notable regularity throughout the mammals' yearly migration cycle along these waters.

"Scientists believe the main cause is asphyxiation of animals passing through areas of powerful natural gas emissions from the seabed associated with seismic activity," said the ministry.

Authorities have launched investigations to determine whether additional environmental factors may have contributed to the mass mortality event unfolding along Dagestan's coastal regions.

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