Why Did This Russian River Suddenly Turn Blood-Red?

It looks like a horrific crime scene.

The Daldykan River has taken on a more devilish look recently. Instead of its normal blueish green appearance, the river water has become a deep crimson color—and it’s actually really frightening. Although the river—located in the Russian city of Norilsk—looks a whole lot like blood, most of the residents fear that the gruesome hue is the result of a pipeline break near one of the local factories. Norilsk, an industrial city filled with metal factories, is considered to be “one of the most polluted cities on earth,” according to Patrick Reevell for ABC.

Many local residents are pointing fingers at one prominent mining and smelting company, Norilsk Nickel, that owns a large portion of these factories. If the waste pipes in any of these factories managed to break, it could pollute the entire river. Even without a pipeline break, the possibility of chemical runoff from these factories is still extremely likely. In fact, as Reevell reports, a man who used to work at one of the local plants wrote on social media, “In winter, the snow’s also red. On the one hand, it’s beautiful, but on the other, it’s chemical.”

That gives us good reason to believe that the curious blood-like river is not the result of some natural phenomenon—though others believe the color could have arrived naturally as a result of the neighboring soil. Either way, while the water in the river is reportedly not dangerous, it sure doesn’t look too inviting. Although, it does look kind of pretty with the fall foliage…