A shocking sight of biblical proportions: a river in Russia seems to have turned into blood!
A plague upon Russia?! The amazing sight was recently reported on social media when locals from the town of Norilsk began tweeting that a river has turned blood red.
This occurred at the Daldykan River, near the city of Norilsk, an industrial city north of the Arctic Circle.
Locals believe the river has changed color due to runoff from industrial nickel smelting plants upstream.
Норильск pic.twitter.com/R22ucK2Mxv
— Mikhail Golub (@golub) September 7, 2016
Some of the largest deposits of nickel ore in the world are in the ground underneath the town of Norilsk. Norilsk Nickel is a metal corporation that employs much of the town.
The company released a statement, denying any wrongdoing: “As of today, the polar division of the [Norilsk Nickel] company cannot confirm any leakage or accidental discharge of industrial waste into the Daldykan River, which could have affected the river’s state.” (Source)
Казни египетские. Норильск, река Купец вблизи завода "Надежда". pic.twitter.com/X3Oc2wtfRq
— Юрий Мережко (@yoorashka) September 7, 2016
So the red river probably isn’t blood – but it still is a scary sight! Industrial pollution is a real problem, especially in poorer areas like this where there is little concern over the long-term effects on humans and the environment. This town suffers from cancer rates double that of the rest of Russia.
The town of Norilsk is a truly depressing place. It has been called the most polluted town in Russia. Take a moment to learn more about this dismal place by watching the video below:
