Massive Milk Spill Turns River White in Alarming Images

On Wednesday, a Welsh river took on a decidedly ghostly appearance.

According to Euronews, the River Dulais started flowing white after a tanker truck carrying milk was involved in a nearby traffic collision.

The truck reportedly overturned, leading vast amounts of milk to spill into the waterway.

A video posted to Twitter by May Lewis captures the surreal scene, in which milky, opaque river water cascades off a ledge and over rocks. Lewis reportedly filmed her clip in the village of Llanwrda.

National Resources Wales (NRW), which manages the country's natural resources, released a statement regarding the incident on Facebook.

"The tanker was carrying milk and an unknown quantity has escaped and entered the river," they said. "This has led to significant discoloration along the river."

They added that "NRW officers have been on-site" yesterday and today to investigate the potential environmental impact of the collision on the river's ecosystem.

The freaky images of the all-white river have popped up on Facebook and Twitter, and people are using the platforms to share their reactions.

Many, understandably, are concerned about how the incident might affect the area's wildlife.

"Oh no! This is awful! Hope the driver is ok! Milk is horrendous for the life in the river!" shared one Facebook user.

"I hope @EnvAgency are responding rapidly to this as the deoxygenation of the water can lead to significant fish kills," added someone on Twitter.

Another commenter pointed out the huge waste caused by the crash: "That is so sad, all that those poor cows have to go through to give us milk, wasted - literally gone down the drain!"

Meanwhile, some viewed the strange scene as having potentially religious significance.

"All we need is the honey next and it's totally biblical," wrote one Twitter user.

Others, however, found humor in the absurdity of the situation.

"Please say it's oat milk," quipped one commenter on Twitter.

As of this morning, NRW has posted another Facebook update, saying that "the river is now clear." Additionally, they added, "there is no evidence of dead fish to date."

In terms of what happened to the milk, they say, "The 'slug' of milk is now making its way through the main Tywi downstream of Llandeilo which is causing local discoloration."

This incident in Wales is not the first time a river has turned an alarming color. In 2018, China's Xiangbi River started flowing red after nearby factory workers accidentally spilled paint into the water. Despite its simple explanation, the blood-red river "stunned onlookers."