On Monday, two massive container ships slowly collided at the mouth of the Suez Canal, prompting delays along the heavily trafficked route.
The German-flagged MV Colombo Express and the Singaporean-flagged MV Maersk Tanjong were caught on tape as they steer south together from the canal when the Colombo Express turns inward towards the Maersk Tanjong.
People can be heard shouting off-camera as the two vessels gradually crash. Three shipping containers fell into the water as a result of the impact, and the Colombo Express was also left with a 65-foot dent, Reuters reports. No causalities were reported.
It's unclear what caused the Colombo Express to change course.
"Something went terribly wrong today," wrote the maritime industry blog gCaptain, adding that "As rudders on ships like [the Colombo Express] are powered by large, finely tuned hydraulic systems, it is possible that this system failed and was the cause of the incident."
Both ships have been moored while an investigation is underway, according to a statement from Inchcape Shipping Services.
The Suez Canal in Egypt connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, allowing ships sailing between Europe and Asia to bypass traveling around Africa. It is one of the most heavily used trade routes on the globe, providing the country with roughly $5 billion in annual revenue ,according to Reuters.
Traffic was halted in the canal for three hours.
h/t: Digg Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/30/suez-canal-ship-crash-_n_5908880.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news&ir=Weird+News
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