Canal near Buenos Aires mysteriously turns blood red, sparking concerns among locals

The Sarandí Canal near Buenos Aires turned bright red, alarming residents and prompting an investigation into potential industrial pollution.

In a startling environmental event, the Sarandí Canal in Avellaneda, a suburb of Buenos Aires, Argentina, turned a vivid red on Thursday, emitting a strong odour that awakened and alarmed local residents. Maria Ducomls, a local resident, described the scene: “The smell woke us up. In the daytime, when we looked at this side of the river, it was completely red, all stained. It looked like a river covered in blood, it's horrible," reported AP.

Residents suspect nearby leather and textile factories of discharging dyes.(AP)

The Environmental Ministry of Buenos Aires Province announced that it responded on Thursday morning to a report of a red-coloured stream in Sarandí.

The Buenos Aires Ministry collected water samples from the canal to determine the cause of the discolouration. Preliminary assessments suggest the presence of an "organic dye" as a potential cause.

Residents have long suspected nearby leather and textile factories of discharging dyes and chemical waste into the waterway, which flows into the Río de la Plata between Argentina and Uruguay. Silvia, another local, noted, "Other times it was yellow, with an acidic smell that makes us sick even in the throat." Ducomls added, “We have seen the river in other colors—we've seen it bluish, greenish, pink, purplish, with grease on top that looks like oil.”

This incident has intensified longstanding concerns about industrial pollution in the area. Authorities are continuing their investigation to identify the exact cause and to implement measures to prevent future occurrences.

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Reportedly, residents claim the stream has displayed various unusual colours over the years, including grey, green, violet, blue, and brown, often with an oily sheen on the surface. They report filing complaints against local businesses since the 1990s, with several environmental contamination cases still unresolved.