An anti-Nile River pollution unit was formed in Luxor governorate, Upper Egypt to contain the leakage of oil slick, state media reported Thursday.

Aiming at a speedy response to an oil spill which pollutes the Nile river in Upper Egypt, the unit was authorized to regularly inspect any floating tourist ships or other facilities that discharge wastes into the river, said State Minister for Environment Affairs Mostafa Hussein Kamel.

"The unit has all powers to take legal procedures against violations," added Kamel.

The oil spill in the Nile was first detected in Aswan on Saturday, and then it leaked into neighboring Luxor, Qena, Sohag and Asuit governorates, official news agency MENA reported.

Luxor governor Ezzat Saed told Xinhua on Thursday that "this is the first unit to be established in Egypt to prevent Nile contamination." He added his governorate will train 15 people from those working in the environment protection institution to tackle the river crisis.

The Water and Sanitation Holding Company in Qena has stopped several water stations after the tests proved the water is not valid for drinking.

Adel Labib, governor of Qena, told Xinhua on Thursday that a paper-making factory in north Aswan was the source of the spill. As of now, investigations are still going on. Endi

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