Tugboats refloated a large ship stranded for several hours in the Suez Canal, shipping agent Leth Agencies said on Thursday. The refloating allowed flows through one of the world’s busiest waterways to return to normal.
The Hong Kong-flagged Xin Hai Tong 23, a bulk carrier, was grounded at the KM 159 mark on the canal’s southern end at around 4 am local time. The grounding briefly disrupted shipping movements through the vital waterway, and a northbound convoy that had been due to enter at 6 am was delayed by three hours.
MarineTraffic ship tracker data showed the 190 metres meter (623-foot) vessel, which sails under the Hong Kong flag, was initially positioned at an angle with its stern abutting the eastern side of the canal. Then it appeared to have been moved toward the center and pointed south. Trackers also showed three Egyptian tugboats surrounding the ship. The ship originated from Dhuba port in Saudi Arabia, owned by Xiang B12 HK International Ship Lease and managed by Tosco Keymax International Ship Management.
While the incident in the canal is relatively minor compared to the dramatic grounding of the massive Ever Given container ship in March 2021 that caused global trade to grind to a halt for six days and was front-page news around the world, it highlights the need for quick action by authorities when ships encounter problems in such busy waters.
“His Excellency, the President of Egypt, thanked the teams who worked diligently to refloat M/V XIN HAI TONG 23, stating they performed their duties impeccably,” the Canal Authority read. “He further thanked the ship’s crew for their cooperation, expressing his appreciation and hope that it would continue to serve its cargo owners with the highest level of service.”
The refloating of the Xin Hai Tong 23 took place at 0740hrs (0440 GMT). A northbound convoy scheduled to enter at 0600hrs will now do so at 0930hrs. The Suez Canal Authority thanked the ship’s crew and several other vessels for their patience during this incident.
Xin Hai Tong 23, built in 2010, is a 56,708 dwt supramax bulker with an overall length of 174 meters (561 feet). It was carrying a cargo of iron ore and coking coal.
