sarahgerpe/izzyandtai/InstagramA number of Instagrammers have apparently fallen ill after posing for photos by the seemingly idyllic blue waters of Monte Neme in Galicia, Spain.
Monte Neme has been attracting Instagrammers looking for the perfect picture for some time now, thanks to its beautiful blue waters and dramatic, mountainous location.
However, the lake is also known among locals as the ‘Galician Chernobyl’, and is actually the site of a World War II tungsten mine, which was abandoned in the 1980s. The picturesque blue water is the result of the hazardous chemicals left behind from the mine, and can cause serious health issues.
According to Coruna news outlet COPE, an Instagrammer known as Uxia suffered an allergic reaction for two weeks after visiting the lake. However, they also told the outlet it was ‘a little bad, yes, but the photo was worth it’.
While Spanish publication Publico spoke to another ‘grammer, who explained they took a swim in the attractive waters because ‘it was very pretty’ and ‘they didn’t see any signs’ which warned them not to.
However, the photogenic dip in the waters resulted in irritated skin and vomiting.
Galicians of late capitalism bañándose nunha antigua mina de wolframio pic.twitter.com/NnSJAADDtP
— Uxía (@uxiaabc) June 5, 2019
Manuel Ferreiro, deputy doctor at the university hospital’s emergency department in Coruna, told COPE that if people have had a dip in the dangerous waters of Monte Neme, they should take a clean bath as soon as possible. The most likely conditions to emerge would be irritated skin, itchy eyes, vomiting and possibly diarrhoea.
Salvemos Cabana, a local environmental lobby group, are now asking lawmakers in the county to inform the public about the dangers of Monte Neme’s water, as well requesting them to limit access to the area.
The mine was abandoned in the 1980s, but was previously used to extract Tungsten – a component used in the manufacture of light bulbs and steel – during the Second World War, according to the Independent.
And while it’s become a local hotspot for selfie-seekers, experts are warning anyone looking for their best angle in the alluring aqua not to take a dip in the deep blue.
One person posted a picture of themselves taking a ‘morning bath’ in Monte Neme’s waters, posting a caption that seemed to shrug off the warnings surrounding the dangerous water, calling it all a ‘hoax’.
Commenting on the post, one person replied: ‘Darwin would have loved this’.
‘Gram safely, folks.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.