Japan’s Nago city residents were alarmed when a river suddenly turned deep red. Visuals of the crimson-colored water went viral on social media as locals and tourists alike wondered about the mysterious transformation. Some people even called the flowing crimson river “gruesome” and “venomous.”
The city is situated on the island of Okinawa and is known for its beaches and crystal-clear waters. Seeing the river turn red caused concern among many about the safety of the environment and their own health. The colored river starkly contrasted the surrounding lush green forests and blue skies.
People started sharing photos of the red-colored river on social media, prompting others to wonder about its cause and whether it posed any danger to humans or marine life. “The red does look venomous, but it’s a relief to learn that it’s just food coloring and not likely to cause major damage,” wrote one Twitter user.
Soon, the police were notified, and a team was sent to the scene to investigate the reason behind the red river. The authorities said that the red color was caused by a dye used for food coloring, which seeped into the river from a nearby port. The police also said that the red color did not harm the environment or human health.
The beer factory that reportedly sprang up the leak apologized for the trouble and assured people that no harm would be caused to the marine life or the local communities. The company said the color change was due to a cooling system leaking a liquid called propylene glycol, dyed red with a food coloring.
It was poured into the river through rain gutters and caused the river to turn a bright crimson color. The company also said they were investigating how the leak happened and would take steps to prevent it from happening again.
The company, Orion Breweries Ltd, apologized for the “enormous trouble and worry” caused to the people of Nago in their official statement. The brewery officials said they were still looking into what caused the leakage but added that they did not expect it to impact the environment significantly.
While there are several natural reasons why rivers and bodies of water turn a different color, most of the time, they are discolored due to unnatural causes. For instance, a river in Zhejiang Province of China turned scarlet after workers at a Heshun Packaging Company factory spilled enamel paint.
However, this is not the first time that a river has shocked the world by turning blood red. Earlier, a river in Siberia stunned the locals when it flowed red in 2016 after a chemical spill. The river was later found to result from illegal dumping of red dye. This was followed a few years later when a river in China’s Jiangxi Province also turned red after a sewage pipe blocked up.
