Tanker refloated after briefly blocking Suez Canal

Vessels

The Suez Canal was blocked for several hours after an oil tanker got stranded in the single-lane stretch of the canal — nearly the same spot where the Ever Given containership remained stuck for days in March 2021.

Courtesy of SCA
tANKER
Courtesy of SCA

On late 31 August (local time), the Singapore-flagged Affinity V, which was sailing southbound, ran aground after suffering a technical failure with its rudder. This resulted in the temporary blockage of the waterway.

Immediately after the incident, a working group was formed by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) to refloat the 252.3-metre-long tanker.

The 125,000 cbm ship was succesfully refloated with assistance from tug boats, Osama Rabie, Chairman of the SCA, confirmed in the early morning hours of 1 September.

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At the time of the incident, the 2016-built Aframax tanker was en route from Malta to the Port of Yanbu in Saudi Arabia, according to data provided by VesselsValue.

The incident comes more than a year and a half after the 20,150 TEU containership Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal, blocking passage on both sides of the waterway and creating a massive logjam.

The incident resulted in the blockage of one of the most important trade arteries of the world, which accounts for 12% of global trade.

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