The Modon-Kul river in Buryatia Republic in Russia turned bright orange. The maximum concentration of manganese is exceeded by 61 times. Authorities blame the former mine of a local tungsten-molybdenum plant.

According to officials, the source of rusty water is the western adit of the former Holtoson mine of the Dzhida tungsten-molybdenum plant closed in 1990. Experts say that the maximum permissible cadmium concentration in the river is exceeded by 2.9 times, and there is 61.2 times more manganese than normal.

Earlier Russian scientists have compiled perennial studies aimed at assessing the ecological status of the Selenga river basin. Dzhida tungsten-molybdenum plant was named among the objects that pose a particular danger to the river basin.