Egyptian authorities have detained a gas carrier registered with Liberia when the vessel grounded in an ecologically sensitive region in the Gulf of Aqaba.

Salvage squads could, however, refloat the vessel and shift it into a safe anchorage in the Red Sea near Safaga, Egypt.

The Claudia Gas, a 16,000 dwt vessel built in 1990, had finished offloading in the port of Aqaba and was sailing to Russia when the ship blacked out on 12 April, Friday.

It grounded on Friday night in the Ras Nasrani region, close to the Egyptian town of Sharm El Sheikh.

The Environmental Ministry also alerted the resources for an oil spill but reported the vessel had been refloated with zero signs of a leak. The gas tanks were vacant.

Egyptian authorities were on alert in the region as the Eid Al-Fitr celebration was on.

It is typically a busy tourist time, and they also reported expecting a massive inflow of tourists to the marine reserve.

They expected increased beach activity, with divers and yachts sailing there.

Coastal monitoring was underway during the holiday and increased following the grounding.

Unconfirmed reports from the Egyptian media declared that the gas tanker lost propulsion, resulting in the grounding.

They also suggest that, based on the damage caused in the marine reserve, the vessel could be heavily fined millions of dollars.

Divers reportedly followed the vessel’s path, examining the coral reef for probable injuries.

Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Minister of the Environment, further mentioned that post-accident examinations were underway.

The studies measure the damage to the coral reef, possible recovery rates, and the likelihood of undertaking restoration efforts.

The vessel, managed by Zeus Lines of Greece from 2020 onward, was examined in February 2024 in Aqaba. At that time, it was cited for inoperative gauges, but detention was not imposed.

Reference: Trade Winds

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