From 2013 to 2015, two villages in northern Kazakhstan were reported to have experienced strange, unexplained bouts of sleepiness.
This sleepiness affected not just one person, but many in the community. The villagers referred to these episodes as “sleeping like the dead” because they could last for days, even weeks.
Notably, villagers could sleep anywhere; sometimes they would be walking around and even appear alert, but then suddenly fall asleep very quickly and have no memory of it upon waking.
Researchers believe nearby uranium mines caused this sleeping illness.
Some individuals experienced even more severe symptoms, such as strokes or bizarre hallucinations.
Children reported seeing winged horses, snakes crawling on their beds, worms eating their hands, and their mothers suddenly having eight eyes.
In the following years, the mystery remained unsolved. Meanwhile, researchers suspected that the nearby uranium mines, which had been closed shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, were a potential source, although extensive testing of the homes in the village found no significant levels of radiation.
Some speculated that contaminated alcohol could be the cause of the illness, or even a type of mass hysteria, but this was not substantiated.
Another issue was that people of all ages in the village were affected by this illness. Some exhibited other symptoms such as memory loss upon waking and severe headaches. Even a cat named Marquis was affected.
After examining various potential causes, researchers finally solved the mystery: the real issue was that the villagers’ brains were… lacking oxygen. The cause was believed to be the uranium mines, but not due to radioactive poisoning.
“The uranium mines, which had been closed, sometimes had carbon monoxide concentrations present. The oxygen in the air decreased accordingly, which is the real reason behind this strange illness,” said Deputy Prime Minister Berdibek Saparbaev.
Meanwhile, carbon monoxide binds with hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin, which binds much more effectively than oxygen, resulting in a significantly lower oxygen supply to the brain. After identifying the issue, the Kazakhstan government immediately evacuated residents. By the time the cause was discovered, one-quarter of the village’s population had suddenly recovered.
