23-8-2023 (CAIRO) Eyewitnesses reported a brief collision between two tankers, the Singapore-flagged BW Lesmes and the Cayman Islands-flagged Burri, in Egypt’s Suez Canal, according to ship tracking company Marine Traffic. The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday (Aug 23).
Marine Traffic’s vessel monitoring system revealed that the BW Lesmes, transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG), came to a halt and changed its orientation to face north. Meanwhile, the Burri, an oil products tanker, was observed moored and pointing south, approximately 19 kilometers away from the southern end of the canal at 2:55 am (7:55 am, Singapore time).
A time-lapse video released by Marine Traffic depicted the Burri turning sideways and colliding with the already sideways BW Lesmes at 4:40 am (Singapore time). Subsequently, the Burri reversed and resumed its original direction.
Both ships had recently made their last port call in Port Said, located to the north of the canal.
As of now, the Suez Canal Authority has not provided immediate confirmation of the incident.
The Suez Canal is a vital waterway responsible for facilitating approximately 12 percent of global trade. Earlier this year, the canal faced significant disruption when the massive container ship Ever Given became wedged across it due to strong winds. The blockage resulted in a six-day halt of traffic in both directions, causing widespread disruptions to international trade.
Since the Ever Given incident, there have been occasional minor disruptions caused by technical problems encountered by individual vessels.
