(Photo by Rostislav NETISOV / AFP)
Instagram models and influencers will do just about anything to get that perfect selfie, even if it means risking their lives and health. Look no further than a gorgeous turquoise lake in Siberia, where people have been taking selfies lately.
Turns out the lake is actually a power plant's ash dump and the beautiful water they're paddleboarding in is filled with nasty chemicals!! 😱🤮
The lake, nicknamed the "Novosibirsk Maldives" because of how tropical it looks, has provided the perfect backdrop to people's Instagram posts. The reason the water is so blue is because of the chemicals from the toxic waste dump! Responding to the selfies, the Russian power company that runs the plant urged people not to go near the water.
The good news is the power plant says the ash dump is "NOT poisonous", and that its radioactivity levels had been checked by independent investigators.
I wouldn't be taking any chances, but here are some of photos:
Leo Alexey, who has set up an Instagram page dedicated to the ash dump selfies, told BBC News that he has already visited the lake four times. Would you risk it?