CAIRO: The official state-run MENA news agency reported on Saturday that a river barge sank in the Nile River in southern Egypt, sending diesel into the water and threatening local area drinking water. According to the MENA report, the Nile Company for River Transportation vessel spilled approximately half of its 240 tons of fuel into the river near the southern city of Aswan, 600 miles south of Cairo. “All measures are being taken to clean up the leakage and ensure that drinking water supplies are safe,” MENA quoted Aswan governor Mustafa al-Sayyed as saying. Yasser Hussein, the barge driver, has been arrested by police in the area, but said that low water levels caused the vessel to tilt and push the diesel out. Mahmoud Ismail, the head of Egypt's Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), told Bikya Masr on Sunday that his agency is looking into the matter and how the diesel will affect the local environment. Already dealing with daily oil spills in the Red Sea, and a major spill last summer, Ismail said that all precautions are being taken and clean-up efforts are being undertaken. “Our number one goal is to ensure that the diesel does not cause massive damage to local drinking water in the area and we are looking to ensure that any environmental damage that may have resulted is taken care of,” Ismail said. However, this cannot be done until an investigation into the area can be completed. Ismail said this would take around 24 hours and “then we will implement solutions and get the clean-up underway. This is expected by Monday.” Mohammed Mustafa, a top provincial official, was quoted as saying water supplies had been temporarily shut off for testing, but results proved drinking water in the region of Aswan was safe. Mustafa said the spill would not have an impact on Nile river life. “It's not a big spill. There are small spots of oil and, considering the size of the Nile, it will not affect the river environment,” Mustafa told MENA. BM
