Singaporean tanker ‘Affinity V’ briefly blocked Egypt’s Suez Canal after being wedged in a single-lane of the water body. It seemed to have lost control due to a technical problem in the boat’s steering system which caused it to hit the bank of the canal.
The vessel obstructed traffic for a short period before tug boats were sent for rescue on Wednesday, however the situation faced south again on Thursday morning following which five tug boats belonging to the authorities were sent to set the tanker afloat again.
Suez Canal Authority spokesman George Safwat told the news channels that the tanker set sail at around 7:15PM Cairo time and was floating again five hours later. The vessel was heading towards the Red Sea when it blocked traffic due to the technical failure but navigation for other ships passing the canal soon went back to normal after the tanker was assisted by the tug boats.
The Affinity V which blocked the canal is a Singaporean vessel built in 2016 and has a length of 252 metres and a width of 45 metres. It sailed from Portugal and the intended destination was the Red Sea port of Yanbu, said Mr. Safwat.
It is reported that two convoys pass through the Suez Canal everyday. One is headed towards North where the Mediterranean is, and the other is southbound towards the Red Sea. The Suez Canal is a very important waterway as it divides the African continent from the Sinai Peninsula providing a network for transportation of oil, fuel and cargo. Statistics show that about 10 percent of the world trade flows through this canal, making it the highest source of income for Egypt. In the year 2021, 20649 vessels passed through the canal which is a 10 percent increase from the year 2020. The revenue generated from the canal was recorded as $6.3bn last year, which is the highest in history.
