Classification
- Incident Type: Grounded
- Severity: Low
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Maersk Shams |
| Vessel Type | Container |
| IMO Number | 9726669 |
| TEU | 9,971 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2016-07-05 |
| Location | Suez Canal, 133-km mark |
| Region | Egypt |
| Coordinates | 30.6053, 32.3331 |
| Fatalities | Unknown |
| Injuries | 0 reported |
| Missing | Unknown |
| Direct Damage | No immediate damage reported; later assessment unknown |
| Economic Damage | Unknown |
Key facts
- The vessel was reported as the thirteenth ship in a 33-vessel southbound convoy.
- gCaptain reported grounding at about 15:30 local time; tugs were at the vessel by about 17:00.
- Splash 247 reported refloating at about 21:00, while gCaptain reported refloating just before midnight.
- The grounding caused several hours of traffic delays, and the vessel was taken toward Suez anchorage for assessment.
Narrative
On 5 July 2016, the 9,971-TEU containership Maersk Shams grounded at the 133-km mark of the Suez Canal while sailing as the thirteenth vessel in a 33-vessel southbound convoy from Algeciras to Aqaba. gCaptain, citing a GAC shipping notice, reported the grounding at about 15:30 local time and tugs at the vessel by about 17:00. Splash 247 reported that the ship was refloated after about six hours, at approximately 21:00, and taken to Suez anchorage around midnight. gCaptain reported a later refloat time, just before midnight. The exact refloat time is therefore unresolved, but both accounts describe a same-day tug-assisted recovery and several hours of traffic disruption.
The available contemporaneous reports stated that no injuries or immediate damage had been reported. They do not establish fatalities or missing persons, provide a later damage assessment, identify a technical cause, or document an official investigation. The ship's flag at the time of the casualty also remains unresolved because contemporaneous reporting and later vessel databases are inconsistent.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2016-07-05 15:30 | Maersk Shams grounded at the 133-km mark while in a southbound convoy, according to gCaptain's account of a GAC notice. |
| 2016-07-05 17:00 | Suez Canal tugs were reported at the vessel. |
| 2016-07-05 evening | Tugs refloated the vessel. Splash 247 reported about 21:00; gCaptain reported just before midnight. |
| 2016-07-06 | The vessel was reported at or near Suez anchorage for assessment, after traffic delays. |
Investigation
No public official investigation report or causal findings have been identified. The available accounts document the grounding, tug response, refloating, and traffic disruption but do not explain why the vessel grounded.
References
- gCaptain: Maersk Line Ship Runs Aground in Suez Canal
- Splash 247: 10,000-teu Maersk boxship grounding sparks delays along the Suez Canal