Panama to investigate shipwreck in Suez Canal

Panama’s maritime authorities made the report this Wednesday They will open an investigation On the accident of the Panamanian flag ship Always given, From the service of Japanese company Shoi Kitchen and Taiwanese Evergreen It got stuck in the Suez Canal on Tuesday, preventing dozens of ships from passing that way..

“We recommend an investigator who is going to draw up a report accurately to understand for sure what is going on around this thread of the ship given to him on the Suez Canal,” said the head of the Merchant General Directorate. Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) Maritime (DGMM), Raphael Cicarrusta.

Panama, Its terms allow for “open registration” and the provision of tax benefits, Leads the World Trade Fleet with more than 8,500 flagged ships, According to official data.

Cigarrusta pointed out in an audio conference with the News Agency that AMP’s Commercial Marine Directorate is responsible for conducting all inquiries into accidents or incidents on Panamanian-flagged ships before the International Maritime Organization (IOM). EFE.

“We are liaising with local authorities, in fact the embassy and consulate (Panama) is in constant contact with the Egyptian authoritiesSaid Cicarrusta.

He confirmed that it already exists “Adequate information“He estimated that he might be willing to put together a preliminary statement.”Over the next 15, 30 days, depending on how the information continues”.

The container ship Evergreen of the Taiwanese company Evergreen operates under the Panamanian flag, Blocked Along the southern length of the canal. The ship is 400 meters long, 59 meters wide and has a capacity of 224,000 tons.

“It is a 400 meter vessel that when it loses maneuverability it falls to one side of it and it turns out that it touches the bottom of the channel., When it touches the bottom of the channel, current or wind will push it away and block the waterway, ”commented Cicarrusta.

He also promised that the ship’s captain would “definitely be in charge of navigation”, but the Suez Canal “had pilots advising the captain during transport in this area, and there were two pilots in it” at the moment “.

The Panamanian official ruled that sanctions would be imposed for the crash Because “all of these vessels have an insurance policy” and carry 20,000 containers “no pollution, no injuries, and no damage to the ship’s structure”.

“It’s really shocking because of the size of the boat. They don’t talk marine every day. They’re not very common, but when they do occur they don’t generate much alert until there is pollution,” he said.

This was pointed out by the Suez Canal Coordinating Office of the Dubai-based Gulf Agency (GAC) Fifteen of the 30 ships scheduled to cross the northbound canal yesterday were “completely stopped” at its southern entrance..

Today, A further 30 ships are registered and waiting to cross the canal from south to north The column was deleted, GAC added in a statement.

Meanwhile, 35 ships were to sail from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, of which 13 were allowed to sail to the central part, where they would wait on the large lake until the southern part of the canal was blocked.

(With information from EFE)

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