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Container ship collision stalls Suez Canal traffic

No injuries were reported.

By Ed Adamczyk

PORT SAID , Egypt, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Two massive container ships collided at the north end of the Suez Canal, delaying traffic through the vital global waterway.

No injuries were reported when the German-registered Colombo Express and the Singapore-registered Maersk Tanjong collided Monday, although the German ship sustained a 20-meter (65 feet) dent to its left side. The accident, about 550 yards from the port of Said, delayed both northbound and southbound traffic in the canal by three hours.

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"The incident has severely interrupted the second southbound convoy and the northbound convoy is therefore expected to be delayed," Agents Inchape Shipping Services said.

The Canal Authority retrieved four shipping containers, which fell off the German ship; other sources said three containers fell into the water.

The Canal facilitates much of the trade between Europe and Asia, and is regarded as a vital strategic waterway.

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