Navigation in the Suez Canal is working on a regular basis and has not been impacted by a malfunction in the engines of one of the ships crossing the canal on Tuesday, the head of the Suez Canal Authority Osama Rabie assured.
He responded to reports from several media outlets claiming that another ship in the canal had stopped.
Rabie said in press statements that the navigation reports on Tuesday recorded 84 ships crossing in both directions, with a total net tonnage of 5.3 million tons.
The number of vessels crossing from the north direction was 45 ships with a total net tonnage of three million tons, and from the south 39 ships, with a total net tonnage of 2.3 million tons, he added.
He reassured that navigation in the canal was proceeding smoothly, and that the authority possesses the necessary rescue expertise and capabilities necessary to resolve any issue. In addition, there is available infrastructure to deal with emergency situations, especially after the opening of the new Suez Canal project.
Rabie said the authority swiftly addressed a sudden failure in the engine of the RUM FORD oil tanker in the southern convoy, with a tonnage of 62,000 tons.
The ship smoothly crossed the canal after the malfunction was fixed.
