Three tugs managed to assist a dry cargo ship that had suffered a technical failure briefly this morning in the Suez Canal, setting social media alight with conjecture about another blockage of the key trading artery between Europe and Asia.
2005-built panamax bulker Glory was reported to have ran aground earlier this morning according to Norwegian ship agency Leth. It was later revealed by the Suez Canal Authority that the ship suffered a machinery failure.
AIS data from Vesselfinder (below) showed the ship was attended to by tugs Svitzer Suez 2, Port Said and Ali Shalabi and that within the space of a couple of hours the ship was towed to a safe area, while a southbound convoy with around 20 other ships were able to resume their voyage.
The UN’s Black Sea Grain Initiative lists the bulker as loaded with corn from the Ukraine, and headed to China. The bulker is owned by Greece’s Target Marine according to VesselsValue.
In March 2021, 20,388 teu boxship Ever Given grounded in the canal, blocking it for six days, creating headlines around the world.
