A Japanese sea known for its often clear waters turned into a gruesome shade of red after a beer factory sprung a leak.
Residents in the city of Nago on the island of Okinawa woke up to find the port area looking rather “venomous” on Tuesday.
Video footage shared to Twitter showed the large body of water with a deep red colour, leaving many alarmed.
“The red does look venomous, but it’s a relief to learn it’s just food colouring and not likely to cause major damage,” a Twitter user wrote.
The usually clear blue water changed colour after a beer plant owned by Orion Breweries Ltd sprung a leak.
The company said water used for cooling, which contains a liquid called propylene glycol — dyed red with food colouring — had leaked, turning the water into a striking red colour.
It released a statement apologising for “causing enormous trouble and worry” to nearby residents and other concerned parties, Bloomberg reported.
“We believe the leaked cooling water seeped through rainwater gutters into a river, and consequently turned the ocean red,” the company said.
It said it would take measures to prevent a recurrence of the leak, which was plugged by 9.30am local time, on Tuesday.
According to The Okinawa Times there’s “no major impact on the environment” expected from the leak.
Propylene glycol, which is also used as a food additive and in the drug and cosmetic industries, among others, is “generally recognised as safe,” according to the US agency for toxic substances and disease registry.