Inside world’s most toxic village swallowed by lake of lethal sludge with only steeple and roofs left above the surface
AN EASTERN European settlement dubbed “the world’s most toxic village” has been left swallowed up beneath a poisonous lake of sludge.
The eerie Romanian village of Geamăna acts as a bleak reminder of a communist past as all that is left behind is a 295ft deep body of lethal water that was so dangerous it scared away the locals.
Eerie pictures show the grim coloured lake full to the brim with severe cyanide pollution.
Nothing but water, mud and trees can be seen for miles in the village outside of a few desolate buildings that avoided becoming swamped under the lake.
Most noticeable is a church’s steeple sticking out just feet above the water as flowing amber streams float on by.
Often referred to as an ecological disaster, the small Romanian village in medieval Transylvania has a fascinating history that caused its lakes to swallow up the buildings.
Previously packed with people, the town is a far cry from what it used to be in the 70s when huge copper reserves were found in the nearby Rosia Poieni mine.
Notorious communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu who ruled over the nation found these rich reserves and swiftly started the process of copper mining in the area.
Disaster soon struck in Geamăna when Ceaușescu decided to dump the toxic byproduct from the mining onto the earth.
Leaving it besides Rosia Poieni, the sludge quickly turned toxic and sent out plumes of dangerous chemicals into the atmosphere – forcing villagers to leave.
They were evacuated to nearby villages back in 1978 so that the government could move the waste towards emptying Geamăna.
Around 300 families were affected by the carnage as Ceaușescu’s government offered each of them around £1,500 to move out immediately.
But not everybody was on board with some determined residents still calling Geamăna their home today.
Despite this the village was plunged into obscurity with the infrastructure crumbling and schools, offices and churches all swallowed up by the lake.
One of the most striking features of the lakes was how single spires would be visible from over the top of the water.
These are still seen today in the village despite the mining company during the chaos wanting to topple them over decades ago.
Locals protested against any of the spires or buildings being torn down resulting in one of the village’s most beloved landmarks.
Elderly Geamăna resident Maria Prate told the Bored Panda she was one of the many who had to move once the toxic waste reached her home.
Although the communist authorities promised locals that their ancestors’ graves would be relocated, they were left to drown.
She said: “What’s done is done. The village is an abandoned place now. At least [with the mine here], the people have work.”
Rosia Poieni mine is Europe‘s second-largest copper mine and is thought to employ a huge 500 people.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty photographer Amos Chapple told MailOnline: “They [locals] were upset that they had lost their graves, but their approach to the loss of their village was, ‘yeah it’s horrible, but without that mine there wouldn’t be any jobs here.’
“It was really impressive that they saw the situation as complex, rather than black and white, despite everything they’d been put through.”
This comes after a mysterious skyscraper that towers over New York City’s iconic skyline led to crazy rumours last September of what the building is used for.
The creepy 40-storey building has been called a vampire lair, and the headquarters for the Men in Black – and has even scared legendary actor Tom Hanks.
The menacing skyscraper is made of concrete and has no windows – making it stand out in bustling New York.
When Hanks saw it in 2017, he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say: “This is the scariest building I’ve ever seen! WTF goes on inside??”
Crazy conspiracies have spread online about the building with one person writing: “Gives off MI-6 vibes,” and another joking: “Lizard people don’t need windows.”
But the truth behind the eerie skyscraper is much simpler.
Once known as the Long Lines Building, the tower was built between 1969 and 1974 for the American Telephone and Telegraph Company- one of the most important telecommunications hubs in the US.
The equipment needed a unique space and a secure location, so the building’s floors are higher than normal.
This means the 40-story tower, actually only has 29 floors.