A cargo vessel was reportedly refloated after being stranded in the Suez Canal for about two hours, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) reported.
Four tugboats that belonged to the SCA succeeded in refloating the MSC-ISTANBUL cargo vessel that ran aground while crossing from the south to the north, mentioned George Safwat, a spokesperson associated with the SCA, on Sunday.
Earlier, the SCA Chairman Osama Rabie mentioned that such an emergency did not impact the navigation movement in the Suez Canal, Xinhua news agency informed.
Rabie reportedly affirmed the SCA’s rescue expertise and technical and maritime capabilities to deal professionally with possible emergency scenarios.
The Suez Canal has reportedly witnessed several similar incidents; the most prominent was the gigantic Ever Given cargo vessel that ran aground for six days in 2021 (March) and disrupted worldwide trade.
Since the freeing of the Ever Given, the SCA has been deepening and expanding the canal’s course.
Connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, the Suez Canal was opened officially for international navigation back in 1869, serving as a lifeline for global seaborne trade since it permits vessels to sail between South Asia and Europe without navigating around Africa.
References: Reuters, Bloomberg, Newsroom Odisha