CAIRO- A team of workers is still cleaning up more than 65 kilometres of the Nile course in Upper Egypt that has been contaminated by a gasoline leak stretching from Aswan to Luxor, the Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources said on Sunday. The spill resulted from a sandal (Arabic for barge), which had been punctured late Friday causing the release of an estimated 110 tonnes of gasoline into the Nile, the Ministry said The workers, including a team from the Environment Ministry, were performing an intensified clean-up operation near Kom Ombo in Upper Egypt to prevent the spill from being carried by tides into the Nile branches, the Ministry said. The workers, using wood beams and rice straws, stopped the spill from spreading beyond Kom Ombo, it said, The Nile water, fish and plants were not severely affected by the spill, said Gamal Aheed, the Chairman of the Aswan Holding Company for Drinking Water. In the meantime, prosecutors began probing the barge's owner, whose name would be withheld for legal reasons. The leak has prompted environmental agencies to demand tighter regulations of cargo ships, floating hotels and barges sailing through the Nile course. After the incident, quantities of oil have appeared off Aswan and Luxor, which draw millions of tourists who come to visit historic sites and enjoy Nile cruises. "It started two days ago and the barge's owner did not notify anyone," Aswan Governor Moustafa el-Sayyed, said. The spill was caused by leakage from the broken barge north of Aswan and has polluted a section of the Nile and showed up Luxor and Kom Ombo, he said, adding that the owner would be ordered to pay for the damages. "We will take all measures, including legal, against the barges owner (s) to make sure this does not happen again," el-Sayyed said. He added the spill was contained and that measures were being taken to "deal with the pollution it had caused. Authorities, protective of the lucrative tourism industry, were eager to resolve the matter quickly, he said, adding that the Aswan Governorate would impose more stringent safety standards on ships to ensure the Nile water is protected. Around 130 tonnes of the gasoline had been pumped away before leading into the Nile, according to an official source of the Environment Ministery.
