Woman's horrific injury after swim at beach on edge of 'disaster'
Authorities are investigating what may be a possible environmental disaster, following mass deaths of wildlife and surfers reporting horrific injuries.
Just days ago, surfer Natasha Danilina revealed she suffered a corneal chemical burn after she went surfing in the Kamchatka region, along the eastern Russian coast back in August.
“Yesterday I was diagnosed with a corneal chemical burn,” Ms Danilina wrote on Instagram on Saturday.
“In 2020, being in the centre of an environmental disaster no longer seems unusual.”
While Ms Danilina went surfing at the beach in August, she first noticed symptoms just three weeks ago. She suffered a “white veil” in her eyes, dryness and her vision deteriorated.
She didn’t think much of it, believing perhaps this was just “natural reaction” to salt water and being out in the sun, but others at a nearby beach were getting sick.
“One day I stopped distinguishing objects at a distance of three metres, on the same day I heard similar complaints from other guys, there are only three camps on Khalaktyr Beach and each one had the same symptoms,” she explained.
“Someone vomited, others developed respiratory problems, coughing. This is from the tangible consequences now, what we set off for and what will happen next is a question.”
фото в купальнике с доской 📸 @yarviar
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Ms Danilina alleged there were no reports or warnings from authorities at the time she went surfing at Kamchatka and she wasn’t the only surfer sounding the alarm.
Anton Morozov spoke with media on Sunday and spoke of how many other surfers have suffered chemical burns to their eyes.
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“We need to understand what will happen to our health, to the health of animals,” Mr Morozov said, according to NBC.
Greenpeace Russia has now shared a number of photos of dead sea life, explaining the water in the area was contaminated with a “hazardous substance”.
“In water samples, experts found an excess for oil products by 4 times, as well as 2.5 times for phenol and other substances,” Greenpeace Russia said on social media.
“As a result of pollution, people have suffered and a large number of marine life have died. The unique nature of Kamchatka is under threat!”
A Greenpeace team is at the beach collecting samples, though the organisation noted the scale and cause of the disaster are yet to be established.
Greenpeace has also started a petition calling on the Russian government to revise its “economic developments and and adopt a Green Deal”, to prevent catastrophes such as what has occurred at Kamchatka.
More than 70,000 people have signed the petition.
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The Government of the Kamachatka Territory released a statement, along with the video of Mr Morozov, saying a meeting among public figures had taken place.
The local government also confirmed the complaints of signs of poisoning and burns on the eyes.
According to the Moscow Times, no industrial accidents or oil spills have been reported in the area, so the cause of the contamination is currently unclear.
Kamchatka governor Vladimir Solodov has promised the region was conducting an investigation.
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