Heavy lift ship refloated following grounding in Suez Canal

Egypt's Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has successfully refloated a cargo vessel after it ran aground in the Suez Canal late last week.

The Liberian-flagged heavy lift ship Red Zed I, which is managed by China's COSCO Shipping, was southbound in the canal when its crew reported a "sudden steering failure" on Friday, June 20. The reported steering failure then caused the ship to drift laterally while it was still underway.

The SCA said the pilot had attempted to manoeuvre the ship back to its assigned lane but was unsuccessful. The ship then ran aground, narrowly missing a ferry terminal near the canal's 45-kilometre marker.

The SCA then despatched tugs to refloat the grounded vessel as the latter's crew worked to repair the steering system.

Red Zed I was floated within an hour following the grounding. The ship was later towed to the Great Bitter Lake for additional repairs to be undertaken.

The ship's bow reportedly suffered a hull breach just above the waterline.

The SCA has assured that the incident did not result in any injuries.