Renew: 23/08/2023 10:37
Issued by: 23/08/2023, 10:00 a.m
Cairo – Two tankers collided in the Suez Canal last night. Normal traffic in both directions will be restored in a few hours, the head of the canal administration, Osáma Rabí, said this morning. According to him, the initial inspection did not show any serious damage or pollution in the area.
One of the BW Lesmes tankers, which transports liquefied natural gas (LNG) under the Singapore flag, ran aground at SELČ for the first time before midnight. He sailed south through the channel. The tanker Burri, carrying oil products under the flag of the Cayman Islands, rammed into the vessel at low speed. He sailed in the same direction.
BW Group, which operates the BW Lesmes ship, said the collision did not affect the operation of the ship. Based on initial observations by the crew, the ship’s structure is in good condition, the company said.
According to the server Marine Traffic, which monitors the movement of ships in the world’s oceans in real time, the BW Lesmes tanker was outside the canal, in the northern part of the Gulf of Suez, at around 10.20 CEST. The tanker Burri sailed at the same time according to the server on the south side of the canal.
The Suez Canal is a key infrastructure for global maritime transport and represents the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe. This canal transports goods which account for about 12 percent of global trade.
Due to strong winds in 2021, the ship Ever Give was stranded in the Suez Canal for almost a week, disrupting global trade. Last year, traffic on the canal was brought to a halt when an oil tanker experienced steering problems.
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