Brief Collision Between Two Tankers in the Suezs Canals

 Brief Collision Between Two Tankers in the Suezs Canals

At 2:55 a.m. (23:55 GMT), the shipping tracker showed the Burri, an oil products tanker, tied and pointing south approximately 19 kilometres from the southern end of the canal, and the BW Lesmes, which transports LNG, halted and pointing north.

Cairo: According to eyewitnesses, two tankers, the Singapore-flagged BW Lesmes and the Caribbean Islands-flagged Burri, briefly collided in Egypt's Suez Canal early on Wednesday.

At 2:55 a.m. (23:55 GMT), the shipping trackers reported the Burri, an oil products tanker, tied and pointing south approximately 19 kilometres from the southern end of the canal, and the BW Lesmes, which transports LNG, halted and pointing north.

At 2040 GMT, Burri turned sideways and struck a BW Lesmes that was already leaning sideways before backing up and going straight, according to a time lapse posted by Marine Traffic. Both ships had just visited the northern port of Port Said.

The Suez Canal Authority didn't immediately confirm anything. Around 12% of global trade passes via the canal. The Ever Given, a massive container ship, became stuck across it in 2021 due to severe winds, stopping movement in both directions for six days and interfering with international trade.

Since then, there have been a few small hiccups brought on by technical faults with certain ships.