Two years ago, the Suez Canal, one of the world’s busiest waterways, faced a nearly week-long blockage when a massive container ship became lodged, disrupting global trade.
Leth Agencies tweeted, “The Suez Canal Authority has successfully refloated M/V XIN HAI TONG 23 at 0740hrs.” The vessel, flying the Hong Kong flag, had been labeled as “not under command” near the southern end of the canal, positioned at an angle along the canal’s eastern side, according to the Marine Traffic ship tracker. Three Egyptian tugboats were observed surrounding the ship.
It is worth noting that in 2021, the Ever Given, one of the largest container ships globally, caused a six-day blockage in the canal, leading to a backlog of hundreds of vessels attempting to navigate through the waterway. Operated by Taiwanese company Evergreen Marine, the incident severely disrupted global trade.
Last year, tugboats successfully refloated an oil tanker that had briefly stranded in the canal due to a rudder malfunction.
Minor delays were experienced in March of this year when a container ship experienced a breakdown within the canal.
