An oil tanker ran aground in Egypt’s Suez Canal on Wednesday evening, blocking the waterway for twenty minutes before it was freed.
The Canal Authority gave the news, explaining that the ship was re-floated shortly after midnight. The Affinity V was successfully put back on course and traffic was restored. The removal operation involved five tugs.
The Singapore-flagged tanker, 250 metres long and 45 metres wide, was on route for the Saudi port of Yanbu.
The accident was caused by a momentary rudder failure, which allegedly led to the loss of control of the vessel.
This is the first time a ship has blocked the strategic canal since the Ever Given incident.
Translation by Giles Foster
