BUENOS AIRES — A stream winding through a populous area on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has turned crimson red in recent hours, sparking fears of industrial chemical dumping, images shared by residents on social media showed Friday.
The Sarandí stream, near Villa Inflamable, in the municipality of Avellaneda, is home to tanneries and other industries that transform animal skins into leather using chemicals. Images of the blood-red waterway captured by residents quickly spread on social media, evoking apocalyptic imagery.
María Ducomls, a local resident, described waking early one recent morning to powerful odours.
“At 5:30 a.m., we already had a special and hazardous waste incinerator spewing pollutants into the air,” she told The Associated Press. Shortly after, she noticed the stream, “It looks like a stream of blood; we have never seen it like this,” she said.
Officials from the municipality of Avellaneda, about 15 kilometres (9 miles) south of the Argentine capital, suspect the presence of aniline, a toxic substance used in dyes and medicines. (AP)
