Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority Osama Rabie said the authority’s rescue tugboats successfully refloated the bulk carrier “XIN TAIN YUAN” after it ran aground due to a rudder malfunction while transiting the canal with the northbound convoy.
The Panama-flagged vessel, 225 meters long and 32.2 meters wide with a capacity of 41,000 tons, grounded at kilometer 87. Four tugboats were deployed immediately to carry out towing operations, refloat the vessel, and restore its position.
Rabie said the operation was completed at 4:00 p.m., and the vessel was escorted safely to the Great Bitter Lakes after the crew fixed the technical issue. He added that the operation was managed according to precise calculations and coordination between the crisis management team and marine rescue units.
He noted that navigation from the southern direction was not affected, and normal movement of the northbound convoy will resume after the vessel undergoes inspection. The ship is expected to continue its voyage once its technical condition is confirmed.
Rabie added that the canal remains ready to handle emergency situations efficiently, noting that 50 ships transited the canal on Thursday with a total net tonnage of 2.2 million tons.
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