By Will Stewart In Moscow for MailOnline
Published: 14:20 GMT, 15 February 2019 | Updated: 14:20 GMT, 15 February 2019
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The picturesque snowscapes of Siberia have been turned an eerie black from pollution.
Alarming pictures from the snow-covered region of Russia show how the pristine white snow has been covered in a dirty, thick layer of black soot.
Pollution from coal plants in the industrial region of Kemerovo has been blamed for the ghostly phenomenon blighting the landscape.
The cities of Prokopyevsk and Leninsk-Kuznetsky plus the town of Kiselyovsk have been affected.
Worried residents likened the scene to the 'snow in hell' while other scrawled SOS messages in the grimy covering.
The city of Prokopyevsk has seen streets and buildings covered in a thick layer of black soot
Children in Kiselevsk, Siberia, walking through the blackened parks after the snow became covered in coal pollution
Buildings and statues in Prokopyevsk have also been covered in the creepy black snow
One picture posted online shows children playing in the black snow that has caked roads, parks, vehicles, buildings and statues in the area.
Local media in Russia blame local coal processing