Video from a suburb of Argentina’s capital of Buenos Aires shows a bright red waterway. The area has multiple tanneries that use chemicals to treat leather.

A stream winding through a populous area on the outskirts of Buenos Aires has turned crimson red in recent hours, sparking fears of industrial chemical dumping, images shared by residents on social media showed Friday.

A river has been likened to a "stream of blood" after it turned red, prompting concern from locals. Photos and footage of the Sarandi canal, in the Argentinian municipality of Avellaneda, show the river's striking hue. The region's environment department said it was investigating, and that samples had been taken for testing.