IMAGES: Pond turns red near Dead Sea, causes remain unknown

Jordan

Published: 2021-09-11 14:43

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 15:09


IMAGES: Pond turns red near Dead Sea, causes remain unknown
IMAGES: Pond turns red near Dead Sea, causes remain unknown

Saturday, Jordanians circulated pictures showing the appearance of red water in a pond near the Dead Sea in the southern Jordan Valley. 

The media spokesperson for the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Omar Salameh, said in a statement to Roya that the source of the red water remains unknown until now. He indicated that the ministry's cadres are currently at the site to take samples of the water.

Salameh added that the ministry does not currently have any information about the red water.

He pointed out that the pond is isolated from the Dead Sea, and that technical teams will work to examine samples of water to find out why the water turned red.

The head of the Water and Agriculture Committee of the Karak Governorate Council, Fathi Al-Huwaimel, said that the authorities have been contacted to work on identifying the source of the water.

In turn, the Director of Agriculture in the Southern Jordan Valley, Yassin al-Kasasbeh, explained that this phenomenon is found in the ponds close to seas due to the presence of a certain type of a bacteria and red algae that love salinity, which changes its color with the presence of sunlight.