The 117 meter long, 3133 dwt ro-ro cargo vessel Taba capsized and sank in the Red Sea just outside the port of Safaga, Egypt. The Taba had just departed from Safaga bound for Dhiba with cargo of trucks when it suffered a cargo shift. The 37 persons on board were able to safely abandon ship and were later rescued by Egyptian rescue boats. The Taba capsized and sank. No reports of injuries. Reports state the trucks on deck had not be properly secured which lead to the incident.
The 347 meter long, 110387 dwt container ship Susan Maersk and the 300 meter long, 208086 dwt bulk carrier Margret Oldendorff ran aground on the Suez Canal near the 94 kilometer mark. Both vessels were proceeding northbound in dense fog when both vessels grounded onto a sandbank. The Susan Maersk was undamaged, but the Margret Oldendorff was holed above the waterline. No reports of injuries or pollution on either vessel. Both vessels were able to be refloated a short time later and continue on their voyage. Traffic on the canal was halted for several hours. The Susan Maersk was en route to Barcelona from Tanjung Pelepas. The Margret Oldendorff was travelling from Richards Bay, South Africa.
The 336 meter long container ship Colombo Express collided with the 332 meter long container ship Maersk Tanjong in the Suez Canal near Port Said, Egypt. The Colombo Express was attempting to overtake the Maersk Tanjong when it lost rudder control and swung hard to port striking the starboard stern of the Tanjong. The port side of the Colombo Express’s bow sustained a 20 meter dent and three containers fell overboard. One container was later recovered. No reports of injuries or pollution released. Both vessels proceeded to the canal lakes for repairs while authorities conduct an investigation into the incident.
