Ship Grounded in Suez Canal

A ship has grounded in the Suez Canal, shipping agent Leth Agencies said early on Thursday.

Suez Canal tugboats are trying to refloat the vessel, named Xin Hai Tong 23, the company said.

There was no immediate comment from Canal authorities.

"M/V XIN HAI TONG 23 has grounded in the Suez Canal at KM 159/0400 hrs," Leth Agencies said in a tweet, adding it was "leaving behind 4 vessels from the early convoy in addition to the ordinary group which was planned to enter Suez Canal at about 0600 hrs."

The Marine Traffic ship tracker and Refinitiv data showed the ship, which sails under the Hong Kong flag, as "not under command" near the southern end of the canal, positioned at an angle next to the canal's eastern side.

(Reporting by Hatem Maher and Ahmed Tolba; writing by Nafisa Eltahir, Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Christian Schmollinger)