Fluorescent green water in the Grand Canal in Venice, what emerged from the first investigations

A “tracer” would have been poured into the Grand Canal in Venice, a liquid introduced in case of water leaks to understand its journey. A substance, according to the police, which it is not dangerous to health of the population. The action it has not been claimed by environmental groups and the Last Generation militants have denied any involvement in the affair. The liquid would not pose a threat to the health of residents, as established by the firefighters.

At 9.30 this morning, near the Rialto Bridge, a phosphorescent green patch has appeared which soon expanded to a good part of the Grand Canal. The investigations by firefighters, local police and Arpac were immediately triggered. The prefect of Venice has arranged a joint coordination meeting to conduct checks on what happened.

At first, on the various social pages, an action by environmental groups was hypothesized, but the activists have not claimed any action of this type. Users who commented on the photo of the page “Venice is not Disneyland”, one of the first to disseminate images of the Grand Canal dyed green, pointed out that activists usually film their protest actions, without carrying out covert operations. The hypothesis of a demonstration by activists appears more and more distant (although already this morning it had been branded as possible but not probable), but the “tracer liquid” in the channel continues to be investigated.

Testimonials from residents

Interviewed by Fanpage.it, traders in the area reported not noticing anything. “This morning around 9.40 I went to check the waters of a canal that communicates with the Grand Canal – he explained to Fanpage.it the owner of the Toletta bookshop – and there were no dyes in the water. The idea is that it was a phenomenon localized and limited to the channel. I then went near the Grand Canal for lunch, but the situation had already returned to normal”.

The testimony of the bartender on the Grand Canal is similar, however he told Corriere della Sera that he had firsthand seen the water turn green. “Some boats went by – he explained – and then we saw that colour. I don’t think it’s a natural phenomenon”. The brigade recovered a sample of “contaminated” water from the canal in order to carry out the necessary investigations.