Shocking! Russian River Turns Disturbingly Red Due to Nickel Waste Pollution

In a curious case of pollution, a river in Russia has mysteriously turned blood red. Locals say a nearby nickel plant excreting toxic waste is the culprit.

The Daldykan River is located in Norilsk, which is an industrialized city in the north above the Arctic Circle. Russian authorities are still investigating the reason for the water's red tint, but locals are blaming the industrial waste leakage from the nearby Nadezhda Metallurgical Plant, which processes nickel concentrate, Siberian Times reports.

The plant is owned by mining and metallurgical giant Norilsk Nickel. The company denies any leakage coming from the plant but said that the company will do environmental checks to verify the matter.

"The Polar Division of Norilsk Nickel does not confirm a leak of emergency discharge of industrial waste into the Daldykan River which could have affected its state," a spokesman of Norilsk Nickel said in a statement. "However, environmental monitoring around the river and adjoined production facilities of the company is being held, including helicopter flights."

Following the statement, the company also provided a local news agency with an image of the river, showing that the river water looks normal in its usual blue-green color.

According to the locals, this was not the first time the Daldykan River turned red. A former employee of the plant said that a factory reservoir connected to the plant is so full of pollutants that they often refer to it as the "Red Sea," adding that during the winter, the snow also has the same red color, ABC News reports.

Grigory Dukarev from the Association of the Indigenous Peoples of the Taimir Peninsula, which represents the native communities in the region, will submit a formal complaint to authorities, urging them to investigate on the alleged contamination of the river.

"I'm going to ask the representative from the company to drink this water," Dukarev told ABC News. "Will they drink this water? I doubt that."

Read:
Consequences of Climate Change: The Black Sea is Losing Its Habitable Waters and It's a Bad Sign
Rare Glowing Shrimp Creates Spectacular Blue Rivers in Japan
Strange! Why This Giant Lake Turning Red Blood in Iran is Something to Be Worried About