Hundreds of dead sea animals washed up on a popular tourist beach in Kamchatka, Russia, after surfers complained about suffering from eye burns. An investigation has been launched as tests show increased levels of petroleum products in the water.

“For weeks now, all surfers have been experiencing eye problems after coming back from the water,” Yekaterina Dyba, an administrator at a local surfer school, wrote on social media on Thursday. She added that the swimmers felt a decrease in vision, as well as fever, nausea, and sore throat after taking a dive in the ocean.

Two days later, it was reported that many sea creatures washed up ashore which consisted of scores of octopuses, crabs, starfish, sponges, sea urchins, and other marine animals. “It’s like a graveyard here,” one person was heard saying as he filmed a thick layer of carcasses covering the sand.

Greenpeace, an international organisation, declared this situation as an “Ecological & environmental disaster” as authorities determined that the concentration of petroleum products in the water was 3.6 times higher than normal, and the amount of phenol was 2.5 times greater.

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A task force has been set up to tackle the situation, and a criminal probe was launched. Officials have not yet determined the exact cause as to whether it is the pollution that is to be blamed or a storm which has caused the mass death of these sea animals. 

Source: RT News