Hundreds of swimmers have been flocking to a mysterious new lake in the Gafsa region of southern Tunisia, but the sudden appearance of the body of water in the drought-stricken area has raised concerns about its origin and quality.
Hailed as a miracle by locals, authorities have warned the lake could actually be radioactive.
“This lake is located in an area rich in phosphate deposits, which leave residue that is sometimes strongly radioactive,” warns a report in Tunisia Daily by Lakhdar Souid, as quoted in the Times of India. “So there is a real risk the water is contaminated and carcinogenic.” It’s also a little worrisome that it’s gone from clear blue to hazy green, “meaning that the water is stagnant and conducive to diseases,” says Souid.
Last week, the government warned that the lake was unfit for swimming, reports France24, but it did not put an official ban into place as testing continues. No word yet on how the lake formed, but one theory is that some kind of seismic activity—perhaps related to the local phosphate mining industry—jolted the water table.
Agencies/Canadajournal
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