Egypt's Suez Canal resumes traffic after stranded oil tanker freed

An oil tanker that broke down in Egypt's Suez Canal has been towed away, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Osama Rabie said.

"Traffic in both directions had resumed as normal after tugboats managed to move the stranded tanker," he added on Sunday.

The SCA team reacted effectively to the technical failure in SEAVIGOUR, a 274-metre oil tanker that carried the flag of Malta crossing the artificial waterway from north to south, Rabie said, adding that the tanker would resume passage immediately after fixation, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on Sunday, the SCA had deployed three tugboats to pull the tanker which caused brief delays in the Suez Canal.

The Suez Canal is a major lifeline for global seaborne trade. Nearly 12 per cent of the world trade volume passes through the artificial canal, a major source of hard currency for Egypt.

--IANS

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