CAIRO, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- A barge carrying 224 tons of diesel fuel sank in the Nile River while attempting to dock, spilling an estimated 110 tons of fuel into the water, officials said.
The Egyptian daily Al-Masry-al-Youm said Sunday the barge belonging to the Nile Petroleum Company went down while attempting to dock in the new Nile Corniche area north of Aswan.
As much as 110 tons of diesel fuel spilled into the Nile River, forming large slicks and covering an area of 0.621 square miles, the daily said.
All government-run drinking water plants in the area were shut down until the clean-up is complete, the newspaper said.
Neighboring governments were also notified to take the necessary measures, the paper said.
Civil defense squads, security forces and specialized teams from the River Transportation Co. were loading the rest of the cargo and transporting it by crane to another barge. The newspaper said media were prevented from reaching the site by security forces.
Aswan Gov. Major-Gen. Mustafa al-Saeed said all river water used in drinking water plants is being sampled and analyzed repeatedly to ensure it's safe for human consumption.
