A cargo ship carrying more than 65,000 metric tons of corn from Ukraine to China ran aground in the Suez Canal early on January 9, according to ship tracker Marine Traffic.
Three tugboats have begun refloating the vessel, the MV Glory, which became grounded during bad weather.
MV Glory is a bulk carrier built in 2005. It sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands and is 225 meters long.
It was 24 miles (38km) into its southward journey through the Egyptian waterway, near the city of Qantara, when it suffered a technical fault, according to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).
The breakdown was expected to only cause minor delays and regular passage through the canal was expected to resume at 11am local time after tug boats moved it to a repair area.
The ship left Chornomorsk port in southwest Ukraine on Christmas Day and was heading to China with 65,970 metric tonnes of corn, according to the Joint Coordination Centre, which is overseeing the grain exports.
The center said the ship had been cleared to continue its journey after an inspection in Istanbul on 3 January.
In March 2021, the Suez Canal – which provides the shortest route between Europe and Asia – was blocked for six days after another ship, the Ever Given, got wedged horizontally in high winds.
The blockage backed up ships and temporarily stalled global trade in a variety of goods.
