The Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI) announced in a statement that “Celine Hage, director of the water laboratory in Fanar, has collected water samples from various areas in Tannourine, along with other indicators for testing, and the results will be released within 48 hours.”

LARI called on the relevant ministries “to conduct tests only in accredited laboratories, namely LARI and IRI, and not in any other facility,” clarifying that “this directive was issued by the Minister of Agriculture, and no employee from any ministry has the authority to change the designated laboratories.”

It also urged social media users “to verify any information before sharing it, especially since some platforms seek scandals, effectively turning into tools of social destruction.”