![](https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2323/files/2019/07/5d299e3d023d1607e491c15djpeg.jpg)
Toxic lake in Russia’s Siberia becomes selfie sensation
MOSCOW — Residents of a city in Siberia don’t need to fly off to tropical locales for picturesque selfies taken by pristine turquoise waters. Thousands of Novosibirsk residents — ranging from scantily clad women to newlyweds — have been busy instagramming near a bright blue lake nicknamed the “Siberian Maldives.”
The lake is blue, however, as a result of a chemical reaction between toxic waste elements from a local power station, and environmentalists are warning people against coming into contact with the water.
“We can compare it only with photos of the Maldives,” said Sergey Griva, a local resident who visited the lake, adding he’s never been to the Maldives and couldn’t find it on a map.
Dmitry Shakhov, a Russian environmentalist, warned that the water can cause allergic reactions or even chemical burns if ingested or touched.