Russia says mysterious yellow snow not toxic
Source: Reuters
MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Mysterious yellow snow that fell on parts of Siberia earlier this week is not toxic, Russian emergency officials said on Friday. The emergency ministry has flown a chemical laboratory to the Omsk region in Siberia to investigate the matter. "Yellow snow that fell on Omsk region two days ago poses no threat to people's health," Vladimir Gurzhei, a regional emergency official, told Interfax news agency. He said the snow was "yellow, with oily marks and a distinctive smell". Omsk region is home to a number of oil and gas refineries. Domestic media debated what might have caused the anomaly. Russia's weather watchdog said it may have been caused by a rare dust hurricane in neighbouring Kazakhstan. Alexei Yablokov of the Russian Academy of Science told Ekho Mosvky radio station it may have been polluted by an chemical accident in Siberia.
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