Fruit juice flood in Russian village after factory accident

A village in southern Russia has fallen victim to a flood of fruit juice following an accident in a nearby PepsiCo production factory.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the roof of the PepsiCo-owned factory in Lebedyansky – in the Lipetsk region – collapsed on 25 April, resulting in the spillage of several tonnes of fruit juice, which poured into the streets of a nearby town and into the River Don. Lebedyansky is a Russian multi-national company owned by PepsiCo, and the largest fruit juice manufacturer in Eastern Europe and the sixth largest in the world.

Two people were reportedly injured in the factory after the roof collapsed, although there has been no damage reported from the resulting flash flood, which saw a pink-coloured juice stream down nearby roads, the Associated Press reported.

Authorities in the area are believed to be keeping a close watch on pollution levels in the River Don, as a large quantity of the juice is believed to have poured into it.

Rescue workers were still dealing with debris from the collapse of the roof on the afternoon of 25 April.

A PepsiCo pokesperson told IBTimes UK: "We are aware of the situation at our Lebedyan site. The Emergency Services arrived this morning and are continuing to work onsite.

"People's safety is our highest priority and we are working closely with the Emergency Services to assist them. We will provide an update as soon possible."