The Liberian-flagged MSC Istanbul departed from Malaysia and was bound for Portugal. Major General Osama Rabie, head of the Suez Canal Authority, said that the cargo ship got stuck in a two-lane section of the sea canal.
Authorities approached the scene with tugboats so they could use them to launch the freighter again, according to reports hv news.
Similar cases have happened before
In February, a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas in the Suez Canal also stopped due to a malfunction, but this incident also did not cause major disruptions to traffic there. A month ago, a freighter loaded with corn ran aground.
ABC News reminded us of this Two years ago, the discontinuation of the Ever Given wreaked havoc on global trade.
Opened in the 19th century, the Suez Canal provides a vital link for the transportation of oil, natural gas, and cargo.
About 10 percent of world trade takes place through the canal, which is one of the main sources of foreign exchange earnings for Egypt.
In 2022, 23,851 ships passed through the Suez Canal, compared to 20,649 in the previous year, and the total revenues from these crossings reached $8 billion last year, which is the highest in the history of the Suez Canal.
(Cover photo: A view of the Suez Canal in 2006. Universal History Archive/Universal Pictures Collection/Getty Images)
