Oil tanker breaks down in Egypt’s Suez Canal, disrupting traffic in the global waterway

A tanker transporting curd oil broke down in a single-lane part of Egypt’s Suez Canal on Sunday, disrupting traffic in the global waterway, Egyptian authorities said. The Malta-flagged Seavigour suffered a mechanical malfunction at the 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) mark of the canal, said George Safwat, a spokesperson for Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority.

The canal authority deployed three tugboats to tow away the tanker and allow other vessels to transit the waterway, he said.

The tanker was part of the north convoy, which transits the canal from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, he said.