Lebanon dead fish
© YouTube/Ruptly (screen capture)
Up to 80 tons of dead fish have been washed up on the banks of Lake Qaraoun on the Litani River, as seen in Beqaa Valley on Friday. Rotting fish and rubbish were seen floating next to the shores. While the exact cause of the fish deaths is yet unknown, a virus and unprecedented pollution have been reported as the most likely explanations.

"We were waiting all day for a fish expert who dissected the fish on the lake and discovered that these fish suffer from some kind of internal wear and tear in their guts and bleeding. They have internal bleeding," said Nasrallah Hajj, head of Qaraoun Dam Department, the National Authority for the Litani River.

He warned local residents not to eat the fish and cautioned that if the local waters spoil, a 'great loss' will be incurred. Initial reports said some 40 tons of fish had been washed up but Hajj suggested that around '70 to 80 tons' had now accrued.