Two large container ships collided near the Suez Canal on Monday, creating a three-hour traffic jam along one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.
Video posted by the Wall Street Journal shows the German-flagged MV Colombo Express and the Singaporean-flagged MV Maersk Tanjong colliding near the northern mouth of the Suez Canal. The Express sustained significant damage to its front left hull and several of its cargo containers spilled into the sea.
No one was injured in the crash, which the Suez Canal Authority said was caused by a rudder problem onboard one of the ships.
Both ships were towed to nearby Egyptian canal lakes, where they will remain parked pending completion of an investigation.
Meanwhile, canal authorities say intermittent traffic delays in both directions are expected to continue in the short-term.
The Suez Canal is a key international trade route and provides about $5 billion in annual revenue for Egypt. It is strategically significant because it carries much of the maritime trade between Europe and Asia.
The Suez Canal opened in 1869 as a connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The canal took 10 years to build and was a celebrated maritime innovation. Ships were able to shave more than 4,000 miles from their voyages because they no longer had to travel south of Africa.
More than 17,000 ships pass through the single-lane canal every year. An $8.4 billion effort is currently underway to double the canal’s capacity.
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