Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation said preliminary tests showed the environmental impact of a barge sinking at Lake Nasser's East High Dam Port remains limited to the immediate area.
The ministry said in a statement that Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam received a report from the head of the High Dam and Aswan Reservoir Authority. Specialists collected nine water samples from different depths and locations around the site.
Preliminary results showed water quality remained within approved standards, with only a limited decline in dissolved oxygen levels near the site due to a diesel slick from the sunken barge's fuel tank. The spill stayed contained within the port area.
Sewilam instructed the authority to continue technical monitoring and coordinate with the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Local Development and Environment, Aswan Governorate and other bodies. He also called for an emergency meeting of the technical secretariat of the National Water Council, with follow-up sampling set to continue over the coming days.