Toxic lake in Russia's Siberia becomes selfie sensation

MOSCOW — Residents of a city in Siberia don’t need to fly off to tropical locales for picturesque selfies taken by pristine turquoise waters. Thousands of Novosibirsk residents — ranging from scantily clad women to newlyweds — have been busy instagramming near a bright blue lake nicknamed the “Siberian Maldives.”

The lake is blue, however, because of a chemical reaction between toxic waste elements from a local power station. Environmentalists are warning people against coming into contact with the water.

In this undated handout photo, a woman poses for a photo by a lake in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk.mrwed54 via AP

“We can compare it only with photos of the Maldives,” said Sergey Griva, a local who visited the lake, adding he’s never been to the Maldives and couldn’t find it on a map.

Dmitry Shakhov, a Russian environmentalist, warned the water in the lake can cause allergic reactions or even chemical burns if ingested or touched.

“This water is saturated with heavy metals (and) harmful substances,” he said.

The Siberian Generating Company said Friday it has deployed guards to keep trespassers at bay, but insists the lake presents no environmental danger.