Sharjah24 – AFP: Israeli authorities on Sunday warned people to keep away from the country's Mediterranean shore to avoid a massive tar slick, as thousands of labourers and volunteers worked to clean contaminated beaches.
Powerful winds and unusually high waves pummelled Israel's entire Mediterranean coastline over Tuesday and Wednesday, with tonnes of tar staining 160 kilometres (96 miles) of beaches along Israel's Mediterranean coast from Gaza to Lebanon.
The ministries of interior, environmental protection and health urged people to avoid "the beaches for bathing, sport and leisure, until further notice".
"Exposure to tar can risk the public's health," they said in a joint statement.
The tar, which killed many marine creatures, was apparently a result of "dozens to hundreds of tonnes" of oil being unloaded from a ship, according to the environmental protection ministry.
A massive cleanup operation has been launched involving thousands of volunteers and soldiers on loan from the army.
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