Black snow hits Kazakh town

Astana : Panicked residents of a remote region of Kazakhstan have demanded an explanation after snow in their town started turning black.

Frozen flakes fell on the town of Temirtau as their usual white colour but were then coated by a mysterious dark substance in early
January.

A team of government scientists has now been dispatched to unravel the mystery.

Ministers decided to act after images of the striking snow were posted on social media by locals worried about their health, the BBC discovered.

Temirtau sits at the heart of Kazakhstan’s iron industry and plays host to the country’s largest steel production plant.

Many believe that pollution from the plant is responsible for the black snow.