Tourists flocking to take pictures at turquoise lake that's actually toxic dump

Tourists and social media influencers are flocking to a bright blue lake in Siberia to take pictures, but as it turns out, the lake is actually a toxic dump. The stunning, blue water is understandably a huge draw for those of us who love taking pictures against pretty backgrounds, but tragically, many people at the location have no idea they're posing next to the lake equivalent of a trash fire. It's become so popular that an account under the name maldives_nsk has been re-posting and aggregating photos of the tourists at the lake. A nearby coal plant operator has even had to issue a warning, writing in a statement (per Buzzfeed): "You can not swim in the ash dump," and, "We ask that in the pursuit of the selfie, not to fall into the ash dump!" Apparently, the lake is technically a waste site for Heating and Electrical Station No. 5, and while the water isn't poisonous and the radiation levels are normal, "skin contact with such water may cause an allergic reaction." Unfortunately, the words "ash dump" haven't stopped photo-takers from going to the lake, and some are even bringing floats and using them to enter the water: According to Buzzfeed, at least two unfortunate souls swam in the lake and ingested some water, with one saying it was "warm and tastes sweetish" and another saying it "tastes slightly sour, similar to chalk."

Tourists and social media influencers are flocking to a bright blue lake in Siberia to take pictures, but as it turns out, the lake is actually a toxic dump.

The stunning, blue water is understandably a huge draw for those of us who love taking pictures against pretty backgrounds, but tragically, many people at the location have no idea they're posing next to the lake equivalent of a trash fire.


It's become so popular that an account under the name maldives_nsk has been re-posting and aggregating photos of the tourists at the lake.

A nearby coal plant operator has even had to issue a warning, writing in a statement (per Buzzfeed): "You can not swim in the ash dump," and, "We ask that in the pursuit of the selfie, not to fall into the ash dump!"

Apparently, the lake is technically a waste site for Heating and Electrical Station No. 5, and while the water isn't poisonous and the radiation levels are normal, "skin contact with such water may cause an allergic reaction."

Unfortunately, the words "ash dump" haven't stopped photo-takers from going to the lake, and some are even bringing floats and using them to enter the water:

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According to Buzzfeed, at least two unfortunate souls swam in the lake and ingested some water, with one saying it was "warm and tastes sweetish" and another saying it "tastes slightly sour, similar to chalk."