Suez Canal Authority rescues oil tanker off El Alamein after engine failure

Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has successfully rescued and towed the oil tanker M/T ALYSSUM after its main engines broke down off the coast of El Alamein, with the operation covering 180 nautical miles.

SCA Chairman Osama Rabie said the authority responded promptly to a request from shipping agency Sphinx to undertake the rescue and towing operation. The tanker was towed by the authority’s rescue tugboat Mohamed Beshir and safely reached the Port Said anchorage area to undergo the necessary maintenance and repairs.

Rabie described the operation as a specialised mission reflecting the authority’s efficiency and expertise in maritime rescue, noting that it was completed in record time.

The tanker is 182.5 metres long and 43.5 metres wide, with a gross tonnage of 23,000 tons and a draft of 11.2 feet.

Rabie affirmed the SCA’s readiness to provide rescue and towing services and handle potential emergencies both within and outside the canal’s navigational waterway.

The authority’s maritime and navigation services also include repair and maintenance, oil pollution control, and maritime medical assistance.

He highlighted the authority’s human resources and expertise in maritime rescue, as well as its specialised fleet of rescue tugboats, launches, and floating cranes, including the recently added CC floating crane, which has a lifting capacity of 2,200 tons.