The first signs that something was wrong at the picturesque Khalaktyr beach, a popular tourist and surfing spot, became apparent when people started to develop symptoms after taking a dive in the ocean. “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. She added that the swimmers felt “a decrease in vision,” as well as fever, nausea, and sore throat.

Many shared similar stories. “I had the same problems with my eyes. Yesterday I was diagnosed with a first-degree corneal burn. Eye drops and ointments were prescribed, and I felt better [afterwards],” one local wrote online.

Several days later, shocked beach-goers discovered that scores of octopuses, crabs, starfish, sponges, sea urchins, and other marine animals had washed up ashore. “It’s like a graveyard here,” one person was heard saying as he filmed a thick layer of carcasses covering the sand. 

Greenpeace declared the situation an “environmental disaster.” Meanwhile, 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 higher.

Top regional environment official Alexey Kumarkov told the media that the cause of the mass death of animals is yet to be determined – whether pollution is to blame and not just a powerful storm.