In a statement the Suez Canal Authority said, “The Tropic, carrying 85,000 tons of fuel, suffered mechanical problems 45 miles south of the Mediterranean coastal city of Port Said. Efforts [are] under way to transfer part of the tanker's 85,000 ton load of fuel to another ship and repair the stranded vessel.”

“Ten tankers travelling south on the canal are stuck behind the Tropic, while another 30 ships bound for the Mediterranean have also been forced to wait,” it added.