2010-06-21 11:47

Workers remove oil-related materials on Red Sea Shores, Hurghada, Egypt, June 20, 2010. [Xinhua]

CAIRO - The Egyptian government said Sunday it is exerting efforts to detect the source of an oil spill off the Red Sea coast.

The source of the spill could either be one of the Red Sea oil platforms in northern Hurghada or an oil tanker, Magdi Radi, spokesman for the Egyptian cabinet, said.

Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Sameh Fahmi said samples have been taken from the area's oil platforms to identify the source.

Some 2,000 workers have been mobilized to clean up the spill, Red Sea Governorate Chief Magid Gbisy told Xinhua on Sunday, adding the pollution has been contained.

Experts from research institutes also joined the cleaning work, the official said.

However, the current cleaning might be affected by high winds and waves in the polluted area, said Magid George Ilyas Ghattas, minister of state for the environment.

The minister has ordered to speed up the cleaning work and the environmental damage assessment.

Egyptian media said Saturday the leakage has caused a 20-km- long spill along the coast of the Red Sea city, Hurghada, eastern Egypt.