News/20060208

edit BBC World News Service — 08.FEB.2006 — SUEZ CANAL BLOCKED!

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt — The Suez Canal was blocked for the second day as a Cantonese cargo ship had become wedged across the canal as it traveled from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. Four tugs have been dispatched to move the ship, but traffic is stalled in and out of the canal zone.

This comes on the heels of the death the Khedive, at a time when the nation is in mourning. The canal is said to be one of the largest sources of revenue for Egypt, garnering nearly £700,000 each day from traffic.

The Cantonese cargo ship has blocked the flow of goods across the canal and the money into Egypt's coffers. Egyptian officials suggest that it is because of the strong winds experienced recently that the ship became turned. This bottlenecks the nearly 8% of world sea trade which passes through the canal.[DH]

(To be added to http://www.bethisad.com/news2006a.htm. Source:

---