Egypt: Another oil tanker briefly stuck in the Suez Canal

An oil tanker was briefly stuck in Egypt's Suez Canal on Wednesday night, officials announced, raising fears that last year's major blockage of the global maritime route could be repeated.

The Affinity V "ran aground in the Suez Canal at 19:15 [local time] (17:15 GMT)", a security source told AFP, adding that maritime traffic was restored after "a short period of time".

The incident was caused by "technical damage to the rudder resulting in a loss of control of the ship", according to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), which said that the 64,000-ton tanker had been "successfully refloated".

The SCA said it had quickly mobilised more than five towing vehicles for the operation.

According to website Vessel Finder, the 250-metre-long, Singaporean-flagged tanker is headed for the Saudi port of Yanbu.

The Suez Canal, a vital portal between Asia and Europe, sees about 10 per cent of the world's maritime trade.

Last year, super tanker Ever Given became wedged diagonally across the canal during a sandstorm, disrupting world trade for nearly a week.

According to the SCA, Egypt lost between $12 million and $15 million every day of the closure, while insurers estimated the global maritime trade suffered billions of dollars of lost revenue per day.