A Maersk containership briefly ran aground during a transit of the Suez Canal on Friday, the Danish shipowner has confirmed.
The 13,000-teu Maersk Emerald (built 2012) grounded at km 98 after reportedly experiencing engine trouble, according to Leth Agencies.
“Fortunately, the vessel was refloated only hours later and traffic has resumed to normal. Only minor delays for a few vessels occurred,” it added.
Some ships were diverted through a second lane created during an expansion of part of the canal completed in 2015, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said in a statement.
“We hereby confirm that Maersk Emerald has been refloated and will be anchored at Great Bitter Lake, part of the Suez Canal, to proceed with the investigation about the causes that brought her to run aground on 28 May,” a Maersk spokeswoman told TradeWinds.
“Built in 2012, she is a time-chartered vessel with Singapore flag that navigated southbound at the time of the incident. All crew members are safe,” she added.
Singapore-based Synergy Marine, the vessel’s manager, earlier told Bloomberg that a faulty engine room alarm temporarily caused a main engine shutdown.
“The fault was immediately rectified, and the vessel refloated with the aid of her own engines and with Suez Canal tugs in attendance,” the company added.
The incident comes two months after the 20,388-teu containership Ever Given (built 2018) ran aground in the Suez Canal.
That ship, operated by Evergreen Marine, grounded on 23 March and made headlines around the world for a week as a fleet of tugs tried to move it clear.
