Suez Canal blocked after ship runs aground

By Vakkas Dogantekin

ANKARA (AA) - Navigation came to a standstill in the Suez Canal early Thursday after a ship ran aground.

The AFFINITY V, a Singapore-flagged oil tanker, reported that it has run aground in the canal, according to local reports.

The Suez Canal is a strategic waterway that connects the Mediterranean and the Red Seas and is considered the main source of foreign currency for the Egyptian government.

The 152-year-old canal assumes 12% of global trade traffic and maintains its importance in world trade.

The canal, with a permissible draft of only 66 feet, can accommodate 61.2% of the world’s tanker fleets, 92.7% of bulk carrier fleets and 100% of container ships and other ships.

In 2021, one of the largest container ships -- the Ever Given -- was stuck in the canal for 106 days and caused a big loss both in global trade and Egypt's economy.