Updated 02:27 | Published at 2:02 am
Beaches around Odessa in southern Ukraine are being closed due to contaminated water entering the region after the Nova Kakhovka dam collapsed in early June. According to the authorities, the dirty water poses a threat to the residents, reports CNN.
So far, 45 people, on both the Ukrainian and Russian-occupied sides, have been confirmed dead after the dam collapse.
Villages and farmland were submerged when the dam burst on June 6, leaving tens of thousands without both clean water and electricity. Since then, the water has receded, but debris is washed into the Dnieper River, which flows into the Black Sea. Ukrainian authorities call Odessa’s coastline a garbage dump and animal graveyard.
“The beaches of Odessa have been declared unsuitable for swimming due to a serious deterioration of water quality in open waters (sea, estuary) and a real threat to the health of the city’s residents,” the city writes on Telegram.
According to the authorities, several infectious agents have been identified in the water, including salmonella and E.coli, which they say pose a threat to the health of the population.
Odessa residents are also prohibited from selling fish and shellfish unless they can demonstrate that they come from safe water.