Kalachi is a small village in Kazakhstan (located not far from the Russian border) with 680 inhabitants. In April 2010, a strange event occurred there: a saleswoman became uneasy in the middle of the street. Taken to the hospital, the woman does not wake up … and even sinks into a deep sleep that lasts several days.
Over the following months, more people are affected by this strange disease. And, at the end of 2013, 20% of the population of the village was a victim at least once! People with the disease are between 14 and 70 years old, and their “sleep” can sometimes last up to 5 days. But the symptoms are not limited to a period of sleep: victims also experience hallucinations, memory loss and seizures.
Uranium mine
Neurologists, toxicologists, virologists … To determine the origin of this disease, experts from all over the world have visited the site. A total of 7,000 analyzes were carried out, to no avail.
Until July 21. Following analyzes, experts have finally found the cause of “sleeping sickness”: the culprit would be a mine ofuranium, located 3 km from Kalachi and closed since 1991. Abandoned, the mining structure would release carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) and hydrocarbons. An explosive cocktail, which causes a whole series of symptoms, including hallucinations and memory problems. After this revelation, the authorities began to organize the evacuation of the locality.
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