On June 20, the semi-submersible heavy lift vessel Red Zed 1 experienced a sudden steering failure and grounded while transiting the Suez Canal.
The vessel veered off course near the El-Qantara West passenger ferry terminal. Admiral Ossama Rabiee, chairman and managing director of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), said that emergency measures ensured the vessel made a side-on impact with the ferry dock, avoiding a more severe head-on collision.
Upon receiving the deviation alert, the SCA’s Navigation Control Center immediately dispatched three tugboats to the scene. The tugboats stabilised the vessel mid-channel while the crew carried out urgent repairs. The vessel was then escorted to the El-Balah area and subsequently to the Great Bitter Lakes.
Admiral Rabiee confirmed that navigation through the canal remained unaffected. The SCA’s maritime salvage team reported that the vessel’s hull was intact, with only a minor hole above the waterline at the bow. Temporary repairs will be completed pending the conclusion of administrative procedures and investigations, after which the vessel will resume its journey.
Red Zed 1 was en route from the Netherlands to Sudan, said the SCA.
