Sea 'regurgitates trash' to cover Lebanon beach
Piles of plastic waste, footwear, tyres and even cattle bones have swept on to the Zouq Mosbeh beach in Lebanon.
Tuesday 23 January 2018 12:08, UK
A beach in Lebanon has been enveloped in huge piles of rubbish after a storm blew in waste reaching 100ft inland.
The majority of the sand on Zouq Mosbeh beach, just north of Beirut, has been hidden under piles of plastic waste, footwear, tyres and cattle bones.
The rubbish was dumped on to the previously idyllic beach during a storm on Sunday night.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri ordered an immediate clean-up but authorities say they may have to wait for another storm to pass, as that will bring more waste.
:: Mediterranean Sea 'trashed' by plastic waste
Environmentalists attempting to clear the rubbish said they were not surprised by the amount.
"The sea is regurgitating our trash," said Joslin Kehdy, head of NGO Recycle Lebanon, which organises an annual clean-up of Zouq Mosbeh beach.
Lebanon has long had a serious rubbish problem. It has become the most contentious issue among what campaigners say are the government's many failings to provide basic services.
Environmental groups say officials are cashing in on underhand deals for landfills and incinerators.
Heavy machinery has been pouring rubbish into the Mediterranean at a land reclamation site at Dbayeh, east of Beirut, since 2017.
However, officials say they are doing nothing wrong and the landfills are up to technical specifications.
The pollution has become so problematic that Sami Gemayel, leader of Lebanon's Kataeb party, has said he will take the government to international court.
:: Sky Ocean Rescue is campaigning to crack down on pollution in our seas. To get involved, visit the campaign website here. You can also watch our documentary, A Plastic Tide.