The 64,000-ton fuel tanker AFFINITY V drifted southbound, blocking the southern segment of the canal at around 7.00 pm local time on 31 August.
Lieutenant-General Osama Rabie, Head of the Suez Canal Authority, announced at midnight on 1 September that rescue units and the authority’s tugs had successfully refloated the tanker, with traffic returning to normal.
The vessel failed due to a technical malfunction at the ship’s rudder, which caused the ship to lose the ability to steer and strand.
Immediately after the accident, a working group was formed under the leadership of the Lieutenant-General and the navigation monitors, and coordination was made with the Port Tawfiq Movement Office to take the necessary measures.
The mega-ship ran aground on 23 March as it travelled through one of the globe’s main trade arteries.
The canal was unblocked after the vessel was fully refloated on 29 March.
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