Read < 1 minute

The Suez Canal rescue teams prevented a cargo ship from sinking before passing through the waterway, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said on Tuesday.

Twelve crew members on the rescued Tanzanian-flagged LABATROS cargo ship were safe, the SCA said in a statement.

An inspection of the vessel’s technical conditions is underway to find out what caused the sinking and to contain any possible marine pollution, the statement added.

The 3,000-ton ship was coming from Lebanon and heading to Al-Adabiya Port on the western coast of the Suez Gulf.

The Suez Canal, carrying 12 percent of global trade, is a crucial source of foreign currency for Egypt.