Rio Valira in Cataluña turns fluorescent green

THE Rio Valira flowed fluorescent green through parts of Andorra and Cataluña on Thursday March 2, prompting fear from residents.

Mayor of Seu d’Urgell, Albert Batalla, took to Twitter as he explained: “It is an innocuous colourant, it is non-toxic and biodegradable and is being used for an investigation of the source of the river in Arinsal.”

The investigation was carried out after more than 4,100 people became ill due to the river being contaminated with norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhoea, in May 2016.

The contamination forced the bottled water company Aigües del Pirineu to recall 121,000 bottles, and it was subsequently fined by the Andorran government.