Ship briefly stranded in Suez Canal before being freed

A ship was briefly stranded in the southern part of the Suez Canal on Thursday, before being freed.

The Panamanian-flagged vessel, which was bound for Port Sudan, was stranded at the 54-kilometer (34-mile) point in the canal, according to a Suez Canal Authority official, who asked not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak to media. The ship was freed after about 15 minutes.

The vessel, MV Coral Crystal, has resumed its voyage through the waterway and navigation at the canal wasn’t affected by the incident, SCA said later in a statement. The ship had been “slightly grounded,” but refloated quickly without any delays for convoys, maritime services provider Inchcape said.

In March, the giant Ever Given cargo ship was stuck in the canal, blocking traffic for almost a week in a disruption that roiled global markets.