Cargo vessel refloated after running aground in Egypt's Suez Canal, traffic normal
The ship ran aground in the waterway in Al Qantara, Egypt on January 9, 2023. The Suez Canal Authority successfully refloated the vessel.
The maritime traffic in Egypt's Suez Canal returned to normal after a grounded cargo vessel was refloated and towed away for repairs, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said Monday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier, named Glory, was stranded near El Qantara, a northeastern Egyptian city along the canal, according to VesselFinder, a shipping tracker.
Chairman of the SCA Osama Rabie said the authority's marine rescue team has tackled the sudden malfunction of the southbound ship.
A total of 26 vessels have joined the Southbound convoy, and the Northbound convoy will cross after Glory's navigation, Rabie said.
He added that four tug boats were sent to refloat the 225-meter-long and 32-meter-wide vessel that carries 41,000 tons to resume its passage.
"M/V GLORY has been refloated by the Suez Canal Authority tugs," Canal services firm Leth tweeted Monday, adding that "only minor delays expected," with ordinary convoy "expected to resume at 1100 hrs local time."
Linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, the Suez Canal was officially opened for international navigation in 1869, serving as a lifeline for global seaborne trade since it allows ships to travel between Europe and South Asia without navigating around Africa.
Statistics showed that the canal handles about 12 percent of the world's maritime trade and is one of Cairo's primary sources of foreign currency, registering a record-breaking revenue of US$7.9 billion in 2022.
In late August last year, Affinity V, a large oil tanker, blocked the southern section of the canal for a short period.
The incident occurred in the same single-lane stretch of the canal where Ever Given, a giant cargo ship, ran aground for six days in March 2021, disrupting global trade. During the closure, the canal lost US$12-15 million in daily revenues.
Since the freeing of the Ever Given, the SCA has been expanding and deepening the course of the canal, which is due to be completed in 2023.
