Egypt Daily News – The chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Rabie, announced on Monday the successful towing operation of the Greek oil tanker SOUNION through the Suez Canal. The tanker had been attacked by the Iran-aligned Yemeni Houthi group in the Red Sea last August.
The Houthis targeted SOUNION on August 21 while it was carrying approximately one million barrels of crude oil. The attack caused a massive fire that affected the bridge, engine room, and crew living quarters of the tanker.
Rabie stated in a statement that the towing operation lasted approximately 24 hours and involved 13 maritime pilots and four Suez Canal Authority tugboats. Among them was the Baraka tugboat, the authority’s largest, with a towing capacity of 160 tons, in addition to the Mohamed Bashir, Suez 1, and Suez 2 tugboats.
The chairman of the Suez Canal Authority noted that the ship, measuring 274 meters in length and 50 meters in width, required “exceptional and complex procedures that lasted several months.”
These procedures included unloading its 150,000-ton crude oil cargo before allowing it to pass through the canal due to the vessel’s hazardous condition. Its control and navigation systems were severely damaged, making it incapable of sailing, and increasing the risks of pollution, an oil spill, or an explosion.
Rabie revealed that the cargo unloading operation in the Suez anchorage area was carried out by the salvage companies AMBERY and MEGA TUGS, appointed by the tanker’s owners, in full cooperation with and under the supervision of the Suez Canal Authority’s maritime rescue team.
He added that the authority’s Central Pollution Control Committee monitored the unloading process and the measures taken to prevent any leaks, with a heightened state of readiness. The anti-pollution vessel Kashet 2 was also deployed during the towing operation.
Rabie emphasized the Suez Canal’s readiness to handle special and non-traditional transits through a fully integrated system that includes qualified personnel and advanced technical and material capabilities.
