A lake has mysteriously appeared in a drought stricken region of Tunisia in North Africa.

Locals consider it a miracle but experts say this lake could, in fact, be radioactive.

This huge body of water appeared around three weeks ago. Some local shepherds found it along the Om Layares Road, which is about 25 km away from Gafsa, a city south of Tunisia.

Like Us on Facebook

Local authorities estimate the lake's total volume at one million square meters over a surface of one hectare. The lake is about 10 to 18 meters deep.

Hundreds of people have flocked to this oasis that locals dub "Lac de Gafsa" or Gafsa Beach.

It fast became a tourist spot where families swim and youngsters leap from the rocks to take a dive. Others even come equipped with scuba gear.

Lakhdar Souid, a journalist from the Gafsa region, alerted a local geologist from Gafsa's College of Science about this body of water.

Geologists believe seismic activity could be one plausible theory why the lake suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

This supposed seismic disturbance caused groundwater to upset the water table, causing a sudden rising activity to the surface.

Last week, Gafsa's Office of Public Safety released a warning to the public that this lake has been deemed unfit for swimming.

The mountainous region of Gafsa is rich in phosphate, which is being heavily mined by a number of companies. Authorities fear the water may be contaminated or could even be radioactive.

But since there is no official ban on swimming in the lake, Tunisians continue to bask in the water to escape the unrelenting desert heat.

The authorities' main concern is a danger to those people who continue to swim in the lake. Large deposits of phosphate can easily leak through the water. Phosphates are potentionally carcinogenic.

Not only the quality of the water is questionable but its color changed the first few days after it appeared. The color went from a clear, turquoise blue to a murky green.

Authorities declared that the lake is now infested with green algae. The presence of green algae in the lake confirms that the lake has already grown stagnant and could be carrying diseases.

Tags"Radioactive" Lake Appears in Tunisian Desert, lac de gafsa, gafsa, Tunisia, tunisian desert, lake appears in desert, radioactive lake, Gaza, mysterious lake appear in desert, oasis, miracle lake in desert, how did a lake appear in a desert, toxic lake, toxic lake in the middle of a desert, lake in tunisia