Suez Canal Temporarily Blocks Again After Another Ship Affinity V Gets Stuck | Suez Canal

The stranded tanker was a niche business news area.

On Wednesday, the 250-meter-long Affinity V tanker was bound for Saudi Arabia when the Ever Given container ship ran aground near the same spot on the narrow southern section of the Egyptian canal that has halted traffic for a week. March 2021, dominating headlines around the world and paralyzing supply her chains.

The plight of the Singapore flagged vessel has set off alarm bells recalling the kind of delay that has forced Ever Give’s owners to pay over $200 million in compensation to Suez Canal authorities.

However, this time the tugs were able to take off the ship in a few hours and navigation was back to normal, according to canal officials.

George Safwat, spokesman for the Suez Canal Authority, told Extra News, a satellite television channel affiliated with the Egyptian government, that the Affinity ran aground around 7:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday and resurfaced five hours later. said he did

Safwat said the ship had a problem with its steering system and ran aground. He said the ship had sailed from Portugal and was on its way to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.

About 12% of world trade passes through the canal. This canal is the fastest route connecting Asia and Europe.

According to ship surveillance service Tanker Trackers, the Aframax tanker Affinity V appears to have lost control in the Suez Canal on its way south. “She temporarily blocked her traffic and she is now heading south again but she is moving slowly with the help of a tugboat,” Tanker Trackers tweeted.

At 252 meters long and 45 meters wide, the ship is smaller than the 400-meter-long Ever Given and has a registered tonnage of about 110,000 tons. She was also believed to be carrying only about 40% of her total capacity.