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A man-made lake in Siberia, Russia, is attracting numerous visitors despite warnings about its toxic waters.
The artificial lake, widely referred to as “Novosibirsk Maldives” [noh-vuh-suh–BEERSK MAWL-deevz], is actually a dumpsite. Siberian Generating Company (SGK), a power plant operator, uses the lake to dispose of coal ash. The lake has turquoise-colored water because it contains high levels of calcium salts and metal particles.
The bright blue color of the lake caught the eye of countless visitors because it provides an amazing backdrop for photoshoots. Many visitors would usually take pictures from along the banks of the dumpsite. However, other people would sometimes dare take photos of themselves floating on the lake.
The lake’s popularity prompted the SGK to warn people against swimming in the dumpsite. The company released a warning, which emphasizes that the chemicals in the lake’s water may cause allergic reactions. To further admonish people to avoid the lake, the SGK said that walking along the dumpsite is like walking through a military shooting range. In addition, the company began closing roads that lead to the lake.
Despite the company’s warnings, many people still continue to visit the dumpsite. In fact, social media users have even established a fan page for the lake. The page has about 200 photos of the dumpsite’s blue waters.
Many people also made light of the power plant’s warnings and continued sharing social media posts about their personal experience of going into the water. Some visitors even joked that they got only minor skin problems after swimming in the lake.