MSC ISTANBUL container ship refloated after running aground in Suez Canal

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By Yomna Yasser
MSC ISTANBUL Suez Canal
Container ship MSC ISTANBUL refloated after being stranded for few hours at Egypt's Suez Canal

A container ship that broke down in Egypt’s Suez Canal late Sunday leading to the diversion of some traffic has been refloated and resumed its course, the canal’s authority said on Monday.

The MSC ISTANBUL was sailing under Liberia’s flag, and started its course from Malaysia heading to Portugal when it got stuck in the Egyptian canal, the canal chairman Ossama Rabei said in a statement.

Four tugboats were working on moving the stranded ship, said Rabei, adding that a fifth tugboat was on its way to participate in the refloating process.

He further said that traffic in the key waterway was unaffected by the MSC ISTANBUL.

“All ships coming from the north continued their normal course of transit, and traffic from the south proceeded normally after diverting ships to transit through the eastern channel instead of the western one.” Rabei stated.

According to Eikon shipping data, the incident occurredat about 16:00 GMT on Sunday.

The Suez Canal is the fastest and most direct waterway linking Europe and Asia. It is also one of Egypt’s key sources of foreign currency.

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