A motorcyclist rides through pungent foam which formed in a polluted river and invaded the Los Puentes neighbourhood, in Mosquera, west of Bogota, on April 26, 2022. (Photo by JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images) MOSQUERA, Colombia - Photos from a Columbian city near Bogota show how a foul-smelling, massive layer of toxic foam is plaguing residents as it breaks apart into cloud-like fragments and drifts through the streets.
The foam has drifted into yards and businesses in the city of Mosquera, located about 12 miles outside Bogota, the capital. Environmental authorities blame discharges from an industrial zone, as well as chemicals in household detergents, collectively whipping up the foam.
Heavy rains have also added to the problem."The smell is terrible – (and) we’ve had to put up with this foam for a long time," community leader Luz Mariela Gómez told local television channels, according to the Guardian. "We’re running a risk.
Someone could fall down there and we won’t be able to find them."Gonzalo Roa, who has lived in the neighborhood for 40 years, blamed the contamination for causing respiratory problems in children."We've had many years of this situation," he said.Cyclists ride by pungent foam which formed in a polluted river and invaded the Los Puentes neighbourhood, in Mosquera, west of Bogota, on April 26, 2022.