Red tide in Indonesia as flooding hits batik dye centre
- Village in central Java inundated by crimson waters after floods hit fabric dyeing centre
- Officials said the dyed water was harmless, and it was eventually cleared away by pumps
An Indonesian village was inundated by crimson-coloured water after flooding hit a fabric dyeing centre in central Java, sparking a social media frenzy.
Residents of Jenggot, near the town of Pekalongan, were seen wading through blood-red water on Saturday and many shared images of the rare phenomenon online.
Officials later confirmed the unique colour came from harmless fabric dye used by several batik factories in the area.
Pekalongan itself is well known for its batik textiles industry, with many cottage industries flourishing across the town.
“They did not dump the dye on purpose, but several home industries were flooded and the dye packages were carried away by the water,” local disaster agency official Dimas Arga Yudha said Sunday, adding that the batik dye was not toxic or dangerous.