An oil tanker briefly became stuck in Egypt’s Suez Canal last night, raising fears that last year’s major blockage of the global maritime route could be repeated.
A security source told reporters that the vessel named Affinity V “ran aground in the Suez Canal at 19:15”, adding that maritime traffic had been restored after “a short period”.
According to reports, the incident was caused by “technical damage to the rudder resulting in a loss of control of the ship” but authorities with the Suez Canal (SCA) hinted that the 64,000-ton tanker had been “successfully refloated”.
The SCA said it had quickly mobilized more than five towing vehicles for the operation.
The website Vessel Finder, says the 250-meter-long, Singaporean-flagged tanker is headed for the Saudi port of Yanbu.
Meanwhile, the Suez Canal, a vital portal between Asia and Europe, sees about 10 percent of the world’s maritime trade.
It could be recalled that Last year, the super tanker “Ever Given” got stuck diagonally across the canal during a sandstorm, disrupting world trade for nearly a week.
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