Thursday, Mar 28 2024
All Cities
Choose Your City
'The Eastern Section of the Great Vasyugan Mire has been nominated for the Unesco World Heritage List'
0

River turns red as goldmine blamed for 'serious' pollution

By 0 and 0 and 0
24 September 2015

0

Water samples have been taken for analysis, and the outpouring has been checked from the air by helicopter.  Picture: Zab TV

Residents in the TransBaikal district of Mogochinsky reported the 'unnatural' colour of the Itaka River prompting a full-scale health alert. Local environmental officials blame 'significant violations' at a local gold mine amid concerns for people living downstream of the pollution outbreak.

The district's administration chief Dmitry Plyukhin said: 'There are four settlements of about 3,000 people. Water is not used for drinking but for household needs of residents, for baths, watering gardens.'

Itaka river


Itaka river

Residents in the TransBaikal district of Mogochinsky reported the 'unnatural' colour of the Itaka River prompting a full-scale health alert. Pictures: The Siberian Times, Zab TV

Locals have been told they 'should not use this water until we found what substance has got into the river'. Checks were being undertaken to establish if 'radioactive or toxic' material had been released. He could not believe there was 'nothing serious' in the red torrent. 

Water samples have been taken for analysis, and the outpouring has been checked from the air by helicopter. 

Add your comment

We welcome a healthy debate, but do not accept offensive or abusive comments. Please also read 'Siberian Times' Privacy Policy

Name

Town/Country

Add your comments

The views expressed in the comments above are those of our readers. 'Siberian Times' reserves the right to pre-moderate some comments.

Control code*

Type the code

* obligatory


News

Business

The Bank of Russia official exchange rates of foreign currencies
EUR100.27USD92.59GBP116.93Other...