Following up from the earlier report about the oil spill caused by the Israeli bombing of Jiyyeh power station in Lebanon, we learn that it has spread over 120km of the Lebanese coast (over half of the entire coastline). The toxic sludge is covering up entire coastal areas, killing off much of the wildlife in its path and endangering the health of populations living near the affected areas. Continuous shelling by Israel is preventing any sort of action to counter this massive disaster, and even efforts to evaluate the full impact of the oil spill have been impossible.
Spill of 10,000 tons of fuel oil into the Mediterranean Sea
Original report from Beirut Independent Media Center
At least 10,000 tons of heavy fuel oil have been spilled into the Lebanese sea, causing an environmental catastrophe with severe effects on health, biodiversity and tourism, environmentalists and the Environment Ministry said Wednesday. 15,000 tons are expected to leak into the Mediterranean from another tank that is still burning. Two weeks ago, Israeli bombs targeted the Jiyye power station, located on the coast 30 kilometers south of Beirut. Part of the oil in storage tanks has been burning ever since and the other part is leaking into the Mediterranean.
