URGENT: Suez Canal rescues crew after supply vessel fire in Gulf of Suez

Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said on Thursday its maritime units rescued three crew members from a supply vessel after a fire broke out outside the canal’s navigational channel in the western Gulf of Suez.

One crew member remains missing and search efforts are ongoing, the authority said. The rescued crew were transferred to a local hospital.

The authority said the tugboat Amin Zaid led firefighting operations to contain the blaze and prevent it from reigniting. The vessel’s cargo was transferred to another supply ship, and the damaged vessel was later towed to Zaytiyat Port.

SCA Chairman Osama Rabie said the authority responded immediately after receiving a distress call from the vessel’s captain, deploying patrol boats to assist with evacuation and cargo transfer.

The incident did not disrupt traffic in the canal, with southbound convoys continuing as scheduled, the authority said.

A total of 30 vessels transited the canal on Thursday, including 11 southbound and 19 northbound ships, carrying a combined net cargo of about 1.5 million tons.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English

Subediting: Y.Yasser