Egypt: Barge leaks 100 tons of gasoline into Nile

The
vessel was docked in Aswan, about 1,100 kilometers south of Cairo, when part of
the barge sank below the surface and began spewing gasoline into the river
Saturday. The leak has since been stopped.
Officials
in three southern Egyptian provinces have declared a state of emergency to
contain the spill and to prevent it from spreading down river.
The barge
belongs to the Nile Company for River Transport.
Officials
say it was carrying 244 tons of gasoline.
The chief
of the Luxor drinking water company urged people to stockpile water in case the
spill reaches the city's water purification facilities.