Containership ‘ONE ORPHEUS’ Refloated in Suez Canal After Grounding

Update: The ONE Orpheus is back underway after being refloated by tugs in the Suez Canal. AIS data shows she was aground for about 5 hours.

CAIRO, Dec 6 (Reuters) – A container ship collided with a floating bridge in the eastern lane of the Suez Canal on Wednesday but the passage of ships through the waterway would not be interrupted, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said.

Tugboats were working to tow the One Orpheus, which suffered a fault with its rudder while transiting the canal on its way from Singapore to the Netherlands, the authority said in a statement.

The incident occurred in the eastern lane of the middle section of the canal, built as an expansion that was completed in 2015. 

????? ?????? ????? ?????? ????? ???????? ONE ORPHEUS ?????? ????#???_????? #?????
???? https://t.co/FVolIDmhMZ pic.twitter.com/c5xDSub1th

— ??? ????? ?? (@ElBaladOfficial) December 6, 2023

Convoys of ships coming from the south were being diverted along the original branch of the canal, the canal authority said. 

The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes and an important source of foreign currency for Egypt.

Works are currently under way to expand the southern, single-lane section of the canal, after a giant container ship ran aground there in 2021, blocking traffic through the waterway for six days.

(Reporting By Yomna Ehab; Writing by Moaz Abd-AlazizEditing by Aidan Lewis)

Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!

Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.

Sign Up