A mysterious smell resembling sulfur or burning rubber has been detected in Helsinki as well as in St. Petersburg, the closest Russian city to the Finnish capital.
The strong, unpleasant odor was reported on Sunday in an area covering at least 37 miles along Finland’s southern coast, Reuters reported, citing the Helsinki rescue service.
“In Helsinki and Uusimaa more broadly, a strong smell in the air has been noticed from time to time. Rescue services and other authorities are currently investigating the matter,” the agency wrote on X.
“Emergency services and other authorities are looking into the matter,” he said, adding that there was no immediate indication that the smell posed a health risk.
Russian newspaper Fontanka reported that residents in several St. Petersburg neighborhoods complained about the smell, which has also been compared to garbage and gas.
Monitoring stations did not record anything above permitted levels of air pollution, Fontanka said.
“He reached Vasilyevsky Island. It smells like a mix of trash, burnt rubber, and burning. I woke up from the smell at 7 a.m. and closed all the windows,” Russian user Dasha Nukolova wrote on X.
“Yes, in Primorskaya you can’t breathe either, there is a terrible smell, like gas. I woke up with a headache and couldn’t breathe,” wrote another user, Masha Artamonova, according to the British newspaper Independent.
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