Tons Of Dead Fish Wash Ashore At Lake Qaraoun In Lebanon

Almost 1,000 tons of dead fish wash up at Lake Qaraoun in West Bekaa, Lebanon

TBW

[Dramatic video in this link] 

The Lebanese army announced on Monday that it continues to collect tons of dead fish at Lake Qaraoun in West Bekaa. A large number of dead fish have been recently washed ashore at the lake. The massive fish deaths are believed to be caused by untreated water discharged by dozens of factories into the Litani River, which flows into Lake Qaraoun, an artificial lake created by a dam on the longest river in Lebanon. 

Director-General of the Litani River Authority Sami Alawiya told Xinhua that laboratory tests revealed the fish deaths were caused by internal bleeding resulting from an epidemic virus or poisoning. Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor at al-Qaraoun municipality Ahmad Omeis told Xinhua that 900 tons of fish have so far been found dead. He feared the dead fish would do harm to human health if people eat them. He said the deteriorating economic situation has pushed some displaced Syrians to consume these fish and to sell them in the Lebanese markets. The Beirut Municipality announced on Monday that it has seized a large quantity of carp fish with an unpleasant odour in the Sabra market in Beirut. The municipality noted that no documents were presented by sellers to reveal the source of the fish. Authorities decided to destroy these unidentified fish and plan raids to warehouses that distribute these fish to sellers in the local markets.