BREAKING Oil tanker runs aground in Suez Canal as authorities scrap to avoid economic disaster

An oil tanker has run aground in the Suez Canal which has sparked a significant recovery operation on the major international trade route.

Tug boats were sent to help free the Affinity V as fears immediately became apparent of the possibility of a repeat of the Ever Given Ship that was stranded in Egypt for three months, The Daily Mirror reports.

World trade ground to a halt with the Ever Given, that had 18,300 containers on board, completely blocking the Suez Canal last year.

Thanks to GPS imaging, it shows the Affinity V blocking the entire width of the canal.

According to two navigational sources, two tug boats were in the process of releasing the Singapore-flagged ship on Wednesday night as it was blocking traffic from moving along the Suez Canal.

There are reports streaming in from the Suez Canal Authority, who say that the ship has now been refloated.

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