Photo: Suez Canal Port Authority
The Suez Canal has been blocked for the second time this year as yet ANOTHER container ship has run aground.
It comes just nine weeks after the Ever Given finally continued its voyage, after blocking the key shipping corridor for almost a week, leaving 450 ships stranded in Egypt.
A container ship ran aground in the Suez Canal on Thursday, blocking traffic, according to local media reports.
The ship reportedly ran aground at the 54km mark in the global maritime channel.
Read More - https://t.co/XOlfCyVIno#suezcanal pic.twitter.com/WOz5mB8tYD— Gulf Daily News (@GDNonline) September 9, 2021
This time the Coral Crystal was the offending ship, a Panama-flagged bulk carrier that was built in 2012. However the results weren't as disruptive this time down, mainly because it ran aground in a part of the canal that had two separate channels.
The Suez Canal Authority was forced to temporarily suspend navigation in one lane of the waterway while work to free the ship was ongoing, with four ships stopped from going towards Suez from Port Said.
The Ever Given was finally allowed to continue onwards passage in July having been impounded in the city of Ismailia for three months, following negotiations over compensation owed by its Japanese owners, Shoei Kisen for the cost of the salvage operation, damage to the canal's banks and other losses.
It also coined some absolutely priceless memes from the internet community.
What is happing in #SuezCanal today explained.#Egypt
pic.twitter.com/T06bFDGQ7q— Zaina Erhaim (@ZainaErhaim) March 24, 2021
these two little guys unclogged the suez canal pic.twitter.com/3oRELsM2zB
— bolty (@AmbJohnBoIton) April 5, 2021
The figure wasn't disclosed, but Egyptian authorities had asked for $550 million, following an initial claim of $916 million that was rejected.
The ship had run aground due to alleged high winds, however the reasons behind the latest grounding have not been given.
The canal authority is working on a multi-billion dollar project to widen sections of the canal in the hope that it can prevent large ships becoming blocked again.
