A devastating collision occurred in the Suez Canal on Saturday, resulting in the sinking of a tugboat and the loss of one crew member's life, as reported by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).

The incident involved the Hong Kong-flagged LPG tanker, Chinagas Legend, and the SCA's tugboat, Fahd. The collision took place at km 51 in the Al-Ballah area while the tanker was part of the south convoy en route from Singapore to the United States.

The collision caused significant damage to the tugboat's hull, leading to water ingress and its subsequent sinking.

Thankfully, six of the seven crew members on board the sunken tugboat were rescued by the authorities. They were swiftly taken to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation and care.

Initially, one crew member was reported missing. However, the canal authority's search and salvage team managed to locate the wreck of the tugboat and tragically found the body of the missing crew member inside.

The LPG tanker, an impressive vessel measuring 230 meters (755 feet) in length and 36 meters (118 feet) in width, was carrying a substantial cargo of 52,000 metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas.

Fortunately, the tanker itself did not sustain significant damage and remains fully operational.

Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority, announced that the maritime salvage team's efforts successfully located and recovered the body of the missing crew member of the sunken tugboat Fahd.

Five of the rescued crew members have been discharged from the hospital, while one remains under observation.

Efforts to recover the sunken tugboat are still ongoing, and traffic through the canal in both directions remains unaffected. The Suez Canal Authority continues to investigate the incident to determine the cause of the collision and prevent such tragic accidents in the future.