Déjà Vu: Bulk Carrier Suffers ‘Temporary Delinquency’ Incident In Suez Canal

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is investigating an incident involving a bulk carrier in the Suez Canal, which was quickly handled by SCA tugs and navigation was resumed.

The incident appears to be a grounding, although the Suez Canal seems to be denying those reports.

The Suez Canal Authority said the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Coral Crystal, carrying a load of 43,000 tons, suffered a ‘temporary delinquency’ at kilometer 54 during a southbound convoy (from the north). The incident occurred in an area known as the “New Suez Canal,” on the north end of the waterway where there is a second land of traffic.

Canal tugs assisted the vessel and it was able to resume its transit. The Suez Canal Authority’s statement stressed that navigation was not affected.

Leth Agencies, which offers transit services through the Suez Canal and other critical waterways, said the ship faced engine trouble and grounded at around 11:14 a.m. local time. The ship later refloated more than an hour later at 12:35 p.m. However, the incident did not affect the southbound convoy, as remaining vessels were able to pass, Leth Agencies said.

The SCA said navigational reports from Thursday showed 61 ships transited the waterway in both directions, with a total net tonnage of 3.2 million tons. The number of ships transiting from the north was 37 ships with a total net tonnage of 2 million tons, while 24 ships crossed from the south with a total net tonnage of 1.2 million tons.

Of course, the incident recalls the grounding of the MV Ever Given in March, which blocked the waterway to ship traffic for six days before it was eventually refloated in a herculean effort.

MV Coral Crystal has a length of 224.98 meters, a beam of 13.8 meters, and is 78,103 deadweight tonnes. The ship was built in 2012.

The Suez Canal Authority statement called on media to investigate the accuracy of reports and not to turn to anonymous news sources, rather rely on official information issued by the SCA.

The track of the MV Crystal Coral can be seen below:

Unlock Exclusive Insights Today!

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

Sign Up