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Fin Whale Washes Up Dead on Israel Beach

People stand near the body of a dead fin whale in Israel. Reuters/Amir Cohen
People stand near the body of a dead fin whale in Israel. Reuters/Amir Cohen
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Fin Whale Washes Up Dead on Israel Beach

People stand near the body of a dead fin whale in Israel. Reuters/Amir Cohen
People stand near the body of a dead fin whale in Israel. Reuters/Amir Cohen

Israeli officials are investigating the cause of death of a fin whale that was found washed up on a beach in southern Israel.

The 17-meter-long whale was found on Thursday on the beach in the Nitzanim nature reserve, south of Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean coast.

The whale's body is "quite rotten, so it's impossible to say for certain the cause of death ... samples will be taken for research," said David Halfon, of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

The Authority’s CEO Shaul Goldstein said a “tar pollution” incident was plaguing area waters in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. He called for an investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the pollution.

A similar whale washed up dead in the area in 2016.

With rainy weather giving way to periodic sunshine on Friday afternoon, some Israelis walked down to the nature reserve's coastline to see the whale up close and take photos with it.

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Pakistan Shuts Primary Schools for a Week in Lahore Due to Dangerous Air Quality

A vehicle of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) sprays water using an anti-smog gun to curb air pollution amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
A vehicle of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) sprays water using an anti-smog gun to curb air pollution amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
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Pakistan Shuts Primary Schools for a Week in Lahore Due to Dangerous Air Quality

A vehicle of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) sprays water using an anti-smog gun to curb air pollution amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 4, 2024. (AFP)
A vehicle of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) sprays water using an anti-smog gun to curb air pollution amid smoggy conditions in Lahore on November 4, 2024. (AFP)

Dangerously poor air quality on Monday forced Pakistani authorities in the cultural capital of Lahore to close primary schools for a week, government officials said, after the air-quality index hit a record high over the weekend.

The measures in Lahore were part of a larger effort to protect children from respiratory-related and other diseases in the city of 14 million people. The government said everyone in Lahore was required to wear a face mask.

Fifty percent of employees must also work from home as part of a “green lockdown” in the city, the government said, adding that barbecuing food without filters was banned and motorized rickshaws restricted. Wedding halls must close at 10 p.m. and artificial rain is likely to be used to combat the pollution.

The air-quality index in Lahore exceeded 1,000 over the weekend, a record high in Pakistan.

Toxic gray smog has sickened tens of thousands of people, mainly children and elderly people, since last month when the air quality started worsening in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province bordering India.

The government has also banned construction work in certain areas and fined owners of smoke-emitting vehicles. Schools will remain closed for a week because of the pollution, according to a government notification.

The concentration of PM 2.5, or tiny particulate matter, in the air approached 450, considered hazardous, the Punjab Environment Protection Department said.

Lahore was once known as a city of gardens, which were ubiquitous during the Mughal era from the 16th to 19th centuries. But rapid urbanization and surging population growth have left little room for greenery.