On Thursday, navigation was suspended in the Suez Canal after a giant container ship ran aground at kilometre 54. The Canal was reopened for shipping after the stop linked to the manoeuvre of the Coral Crystal, a Panamanian-flagged ship built in 2012.
According to Traffic Marine, a ship tracking company, the vessel was en route to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. Canal Authority tugs managed to get the ship moving, carrying a cargo of 43,000 tons. Coral Crystal finally resumed its journey.
The temporary closure of the Suez Canal is the second, this year, after that in March caused by the Ever Given. It was March 23 when one of the largest container ships in the world blocked the route between Asia and Europe for six days. It could only leave the Canal on July 7 after an agreement was reached between the shipowners and the Suez Canal Authority. Compensation for damages of $ 916 million was sought due to lost revenue, which was later reduced to $ 550 million.