An oil tanker capsized in Egypt’s Suez Canal on Wednesday night, briefly obstructing the waterway and causing a backlog in shipping. After the tug boats had refloated the Singapore-flagged vessel Affinity V, traffic resumed some hours later.
The Suez Canal Authority claimed that a technical issue with the ship’s radar led to a loss of control and caused the disaster.
Over 10% of the world’s maritime traffic passes through the Suez Canal, a crucial canal that links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.
This is the second time in history that the Suez Canal has been blockaded by a ship. In 2021, a massive container ship, the Ever Given, became stuck diagonally on the waterway last year and ran aground. Before it was finally rescued, the stranded tanker caused the worldwide maritime sector stress and annoyance for approximately a week.
