Osama Rabie, the Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), announced on Sunday that three tugboats were dispatched to assist an oil tanker with an engine malfunction in the canal.
Rabie stated that once the tugboats have relocated the tanker, northbound traffic in the canal will return to normal.
SEAVIGOUR is a Malta-registered vessel built in 2016, according to Refinitiv Eikon shipping data. The SCA indicated that the crude tanker was en route from Russia to China.
Technical glitches occasionally disrupt traffic but usually cause only brief stoppages.
Rabie elaborated that the main navigation control center promptly dispatched three tugboats upon receiving notification of a machinery failure aboard the carrier at the canal’s 12th-kilometer marker.
The fleet included the “Port Said” rescue tugboat, which has a pulling power of 95 tons, as well as the “Port Said 2” and “Port Said 3” tugboats.
In the meantime, they are preparing to connect to the vessel for the towing operation.
Rabie affirmed that northbound traffic will return to normal once the vessel has been towed to the canal’s 17th-kilometer marker. This will allow the convoy to resume its passage. Meanwhile, southbound traffic is being managed, with ships holding in the Great Lakes until the towing operation is complete.
The chairman confirmed the authority’s capability and expertise in handling such emergencies, highlighting their proficiency in navigational and technical aspects of maritime rescue.
