The Suez Canal is poised to reopen for regular maritime traffic within hours, as stated by the head of the canal authority on August 23. This development comes in the wake of a collision involving two vessels that had temporarily disrupted the crucial shipping route.
As per the chairman of the canal authority, Osama Rabie, the incident was triggered by a combination of factors. The liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier BW Lesmes experienced a technical malfunction leading to an abrupt halt. Coincidentally, this occurred simultaneously with a powerful current that propelled the oil tanker Burri towards the stationary BW Lesmes, resulting in what Rabie referred to as "slight contact."
In response to the incident, tugboats were dispatched by the canal authority to reposition both vessels and clear the passage. The Singapore-flagged BW Lesmes was successfully guided out of the waterway, as confirmed by Rabie. Meanwhile, the Cayman Islands-flagged Burri was observed near the southern extremity of the canal by 12:00 pm local time, according to tracking data from MarineTraffic.
Rabie stated that the resumption of the canal's northbound convoy will occur once the Burri has been fully towed to a suitable position.
The operator of BW Lesmes, BW LNG AS, reported that the vessel had run aground while traversing southbound through the Suez Canal at around 21:35 (1835 GMT) on August 21. BW Group, the parent company, reassured that the collision at low speed did not compromise the ship's operational capacity and confirmed its structural integrity.
BW Lesmes was successfully refloated by 03:30 a.m. local time on August 23 and is scheduled for further inspections at Suez anchorage.
Although no significant environmental damage or pollution has been reported, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority cautioned that the oil tanker Burri suffered from steering failure, necessitating repairs.
While inquiries were made, TMS Tankers, the entity responsible for managing the Burri, refrained from commenting on the incident.
The Suez Canal, a vital conduit for global maritime trade and the shortest route linking Europe and Asia handles approximately 12% of the world's total trade. The incident revives memories of the disruptive six-day closure in 2021 when the Ever Given, an immense container ship, became lodged across the canal due to intense winds, causing widespread shipping disruptions and a significant global trade bottleneck.
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