CAIRO – Egyptian authorities deployed three tugboats on Sunday to tow an oil tanker whose engines failed while traversing the Suez Canal.
The Suez Canal Authority’s head, Adm. Osama Rabie, stated that vessel activity in both directions is now normal.
He noted that the tanker, the 274-meter-long Seavigour, which sails under Maltese flag, is undergoing repairs and will resume its journey once the work is completed.
On Sunday, more than 60 ships with a combined net tonnage of 3.5 million tons passed through the canal.
Tugboats refloated the container ship Msc Istanbul in March after it went aground in the canal while travelling from Malaysia to Portugal.
After becoming aground during heavy winds in 2021, a massive container ship, the Ever Given, blocked the canal for six days, impeding world trade.
The Suez Canal, one of the world’s busiest waterways, is the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia, accounting for approximately 10% of worldwide maritime traffic.
Source: Arab News