The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) successfully refloated the bulk carrier XIN TAIN YUAN on Thursday after it ran aground at km 87 due to a technical rudder failure. Adm. Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the SCA, confirmed that maritime salvage tugboats managed the navigational emergency efficiently, allowing the vessel to resume its transit within the northern convoy from Denmark to Singapore.
Four SCA tugboats, including the newly deployed “Azm 2” with a 90-ton bollard pull, were dispatched immediately to the site following notification of the incident at noon. The salvage operation was completed by 4:00 PM after precise maneuvers directed the 225-meter-long, 41,000-ton Panama-flagged vessel back to its course. The ship was subsequently escorted to the Great Bitter Lakes for technical inspections to ensure hull safety before continuing its voyage.
Adm. Rabiee emphasized that navigation from the south remained unaffected, while the northern convoy resumed its flow shortly after the vessel reached the Great Bitter Lakes. On the day of the incident, the Suez Canal recorded the transit of 50 vessels from both directions, totaling a net tonnage of 2.2m. The Chairman reaffirmed the SCA’s readiness to handle emergency situations through its specialized Crisis Management Committee and technical expertise.