Suez Canal Tugboat Collides with LPG Tanker, Resulting in Fatality
CAIRO, Aug 5 (Reuters) – Tragedy struck the Suez Canal on Saturday as a tugboat sank after colliding with a Hong Kong-flagged LPG tanker in the strategically important waterway. The canal authority confirmed the incident and revealed that a crew member from the tugboat had unfortunately lost his life, according to the crew member’s family.
The tanker, named Chinagas Legend, is currently awaiting further procedures related to the accident and has taken refuge in Port Said, stated Osama Rabie, the head of the canal authority, in a statement. Fortunately, the tanker emerged unscathed from the collision and is functioning normally since anchoring at Port Said, as confirmed by two canal sources.
The deceased crew member has been identified as Sayed Moussa, hailing from Port Said, as shared by his grieving family. Meanwhile, rescue efforts are underway for the remaining crew members of the ill-fated tugboat, named Fahd. According to Rabie, the tugboat was carrying seven individuals at the time of the collision. A crane has been dispatched to retrieve the sunken vessel.
In a more positive development, two additional canal sources disclosed that the other six crew members of the tugboat have been rescued and have received medical attention at a nearby hospital.
The Chinagas Legend, en route from Singapore to the United States in a southward direction, measures 230 meters (755 feet) in length and 36 meters (118 feet) in width. The tanker is laden with a cargo of 52,000 metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
The incident has shaken the Suez Canal, which has recently regained its spotlight after the Ever Given, a massive container ship, ran aground and blocked the canal for nearly a week in March, disrupting global trade.
Reporting by Yousri Mohammed; Writing by Hatem Maher and Angus McDowall; Editing by Angus MacSwan, David Holmes, and Toby Chopra