Egyptian authorities have reported a collision between two tankers in the Suez Canal, resulting in a disruption of traffic along this major international waterway.
Two tankers, transporting oil products and liquefied natural gas, collided in the Suez Canal, resulting in a disruption of traffic along this vital global waterway, as reported by Egyptian authorities on Wednesday.
The Suez Canal authority issued a statement explaining that the incident involved the BW Lesmes, a Singapore-flagged vessel carrying liquefied natural gas, which experienced a mechanical malfunction on Tuesday night and subsequently ran aground while navigating through the canal. The Burri, an oil products tanker flying the Cayman Islands flag, collided with the incapacitated ship.
This collision caused a disturbance in the flow of traffic, as indicated in the statement. Both tankers were part of a convoy transiting from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
Admiral Ossama Rabei, the head of the canal authority, conveyed in the statement, "We have promptly managed the breakdowns... and regular traffic will resume in both directions within the next few hours."
Leth Agencies, a company providing canal services, reported that the incident led to the postponement of the transit for 21 southbound vessels.
Approximately 10% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal, making it a significant source of foreign currency for the Egyptian government.
In March 2021, the Panama-flagged Ever Given, a massive container ship, collided with a bank in a narrow section of the canal, obstructing the passage for six days and causing disruptions to worldwide trade.
MarineTraffic, a vessel tracking service provider, released a time-lapse video of the incident, illustrating the Burri veering towards the port side and colliding with the already grounded BW Lesmes.
The Burri, constructed in 2018, spans 250 meters (820 feet) in length and 44 meters (144 feet) in width. The BW Lesmes, built three years later, measures 295 meters (968 feet) in length and 46.43 meters (152 feet) in width, according to MarineTraffic.
The canal authorities successfully refloated and towed the BW Lesmes away, while ongoing efforts were focused on removing the Burri from the waterway. Images released by the authorities displayed the Lesmes anchored in the canal's anchorage, and the Burri being towed.
Operators of the BW Lesmes, BW LNG AS, affirmed in a statement, "All crew members are safe and accounted for, and there were no injuries or any reports of pollution."
Initial inspections indicated no major damage to the tankers and no pollution at the site, as stated by Rabei. A technical team from Oslo, Norway, was scheduled to investigate the incident on the BW Lesmes later on Wednesday, according to BW LNG AS.
This incident is the latest in a series of vessels reported to have been stuck in the vital waterway. Several ships have run aground or experienced breakdowns in the Suez Canal over the past few years. Earlier this month, a tugboat sank in the canal following a collision with a Hong Kong-flagged tanker.
The Suez Canal, serving as a conduit between the Mediterranean and Red Seas, was inaugurated in 1869 and holds paramount importance as a passage for oil, natural gas, and cargo. The canal authority orchestrates a convoy system that encompasses a northbound and southbound passage each day.
The Suez Canal Authority's data reveals that in the previous year, a total of 23,851 vessels traversed the canal, marking an increase from 20,649 vessels in 2021. The canal's revenue for 2022 surged to a historic high of $8 billion.
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