Jordan authorities investigate after pool of water near the Dead Sea turns blood red
Reason the pool of water turned red remains unexplained, but experts have a number of theories
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A small water body near the Dead Sea in Jordan has turned blood red in colour, baffling locals and authorities alike.
Pictures shared by several social media users showed the deep red-coloured pool of water, even as the cause of this phenomenon remains unexplained.
Jordan’s water ministry dispatched technical teams on Saturday to take samples and run tests to check what could have caused the change in the water’s colour, according to a report by The Jerusalem Post.
The result of this examination is expected to be released in the coming days, it said.
One user compared the red colouration of the water body to the Biblical “plague of blood”, but experts pointed to several potential biochemical and man-made causes.
The change in colour could have been caused by algae, iron oxide or even the addition of substances by humans that turned the water red, Sakhr Al-Nusour, the head of the Jordanian Geologists Syndicate, told Jordan’s Al Ghad newspaper.
Ministry officials pointed out that the pond where the water turned red was isolated from the waters of the Dead Sea and small in size.
This is the second such instance in two years of a water body turning red in the region. The Alexander River in Israel turned red in May last year due to blood flowing from adjoining slaughterhouses, according to the Society for the Protection of Nature.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments