Video: Chinese Ship Veers Off Course In Suez Canal, Scrapes Dock After Steering Failure

The heavy-lift diving vessel RED ZED 1 ran aground in the Suez Canal on June 20 after a sudden steering failure during its southbound voyage from the Netherlands to Sudan. The incident took place at kilometer 45 of the Canal, near the El-Qantara West passenger ferryboat.

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) confirmed that the vessel veered off course while transiting with the northern convoy and was dangerously close to colliding with the ferry dock. However, no injuries or casualties were reported, and the situation was brought under control within 60 minutes.

Officials reported that RED ZED 1 suffered a steering system failure while transiting the El-Qantara area. Due to the swift actions of the canal pilots on board, the vessel avoided a direct collision with the ferry dock. Instead, the vessel made a side scrape, a parallel collision, which helped prevent serious damage.

The El-Qantara Navigation Control Station noticed the vessel’s sudden deviation from the waterway and immediately alerted ferry workers. Passengers and small maritime units at the terminal were evacuated swiftly, minimising any risk.

 

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Once the Navigation Control Center was informed of the vessel’s distress, the Authority quickly dispatched three tugboats-MISR AL GADEEDA, MOSAED 4, and Suez 1. The tugboats quickly arrived and worked to stabilize the vessel while its crew conducted temporary repairs to the steering gear.

After repairs were made, the tugboats towed the vessel back to the center of the channel and then accompanied it to the Great Bitter Lakes anchorage area for further inspection.

The SCA’s salvage team later carried out an initial examination of the vessel. They reported a small hole in the bow, located above the waterline. Once all necessary administrative checks and investigations are completed, and minor repairs are done, the ship is expected to continue its journey.

The ferry that was affected at El-Qantara was replaced immediately, ensuring that transportation between both banks of the Canal continued without interruption.

According to SCA Chairman and Managing Director Admiral Ossama Rabiee, the incident was handled with full professionalism. He said the authority’s quick decision-making and emergency preparedness helped prevent what could have been a major accident.

He also pointed out that the Suez Canal has a fully integrated crisis management system, which allows it to react swiftly to any emergency. The Canal’s pilots continued guiding other vessels in the convoy without delay, and the rest of the southbound traffic proceeded normally.

The RED ZED 1 is a Liberian-flagged vessel, built in 2015 and operated by COSCO Shipping. It is 217 meters long, 43 meters wide, and has a gross tonnage of around 41,000 tons. The ship was not carrying cargo during the transit.

The incident happened while the Suez Canal Authority is making efforts to attract more ship traffic. Large CMA CGM container vessels like the Jules Verne (16,000 TEU) and Adonis (15,000 TEU) also transited through the Canal recently, showing growing confidence among operators.

As a strategic move, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is offering a 15% discount on transit fees for ships over 130,000 net tons. The three-month promotion, now in its second month, was launched shortly after a temporary agreement was reached between the U.S. and the Houthis.

Admiral Rabiee added that the Suez Canal is always prepared to deal with unexpected events through its experienced pilots, maritime rescue units, and pollution control teams. He reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to maintaining smooth and safe navigation through one of the world’s busiest waterways.

Reference: SCA

Source: Maritime Shipping News