Ship traffic in the Suez Canal is not affected after the collision of an oil tanker

CAIRO, Aug 23 (Reuters) – Shipping traffic was flowing normally in Egypt’s Suez Canal on Wednesday, two shipping sources based in the country said, after two oil tankers that collided earlier separated.

The two tankers, the Singapore-flagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier BW Lesmes and the Cayman Islands-flagged tanker Burri, briefly collided in the channel, ship-tracking company MarineTraffic said early in the morning. Wednesday citing eyewitnesses.

The sources did not provide further details about the incident.

However, in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Egypt’s AlQahera News quoted Suez Canal Authority Chairman Osama Rabie as saying that a ship that broke down on the course of sailing was beginning to be towed, without giving further details.

At 0500 (0200 GMT), the BW Lesmes was heading north but was being towed south by two tugs, according to Refinitiv Eikon ship tracking data. Meanwhile, the Burri was moored and was pointing south about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the southern end of the channel, the data showed.

A time-lapse of the tracking map shared by MarineTraffic showed the Burri turning sideways and colliding with an already sideways BW Lesmes at 2040 GMT before turning back and pointing straight ahead.

BW Group and TMS Tankers, which Burri manages, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A person who answered the phone in the operations room of the Suez Canal Authority when contacted by Reuters said he could not provide any information about the tankers. She did not give her name when she was asked. The Authority has not yet issued an official statement.

The Suez Canal is one of the world’s busiest waterways and the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

About 12% of world trade passes through the canal. During the strong winds of 2021, a huge container ship, the Ever Given, got stuck, halting traffic in both directions for six days and disrupting world trade.

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