- By Peter Hoskins
- business reporter
File image of a container ship passing through the Suez Canal
A ship that was stranded in the Suez Canal has been refloated, says shipping agent Leth Agencies.
Tugboats had been working to refloat the ship, named Xin Hai Tong 23, the company said earlier.
The Suez Canal Authority did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.
Two years ago, the Suez Canal, one of the world’s busiest waterways, was impassable for nearly a week after a giant container ship got stuck.
“The Suez Canal Authority has successfully refloated M/V XIN HAI TONG 23 at 0740 hours,” Leth said in a tweet.
The ship, which sails under the Hong Kong flag, was “not under command” near the southern end of the canal, perched at an angle along the eastern side of the canal, according to ship tracker Marine Traffic.
The tracker also showed that there were three Egyptian tugs surrounding the ship.
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The Ever Given, one of the world’s largest container ships, blocked the canal for six days in 2021, disrupting world trade.
The ship, operated by Taiwanese firm Evergreen Marine, caused a backlog of hundreds of boats trying to use the waterway.
Last year, an oil tanker, which was briefly stranded in the channel after a rudder failure, was raised by tugboats.
In March this year, the breakdown of a container ship in the canal caused minor delays.