An oil tanker broke down in the Suez Canal on Sunday, disrupting traffic in the vital global waterway. 

The Malta-flagged Seavigour suffered a malfunction at the 12 km (7.5 mile) mark, said George Safwat, a spokesperson for Egypt‘s Suez Canal Authority.

It stopped in a single-lane section and was towed away by tugs to a double-lane stretch at the 17km (10.5 mile) mark.

The breakdown disrupted eight other ships behind the Seavigour – which measures 274m (899ft) long and 48.63m (159ft) wide.

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It is the latest ship to cause disruption in recent years after breaking down or running aground.

In March 2021, container ship the Ever Given crashed into a bank on a single-lane stretch, blocking the canal for six days and causing huge delays in global trade.

A Liberia-flagged ship also ran aground in March this year but was refloated a few hours later.

On May 25, a Hong Kong-flagged ship also briefly blocked the canal before being refloated.

The canal opened in 1869 and is a crucial trading route for oil, natural gas and cargo. Around 10% of world trade flows through it.

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Some 23,851 vessels passed through the waterway last year, compared with 20,649 in 2021.

Revenue earned from the canal reached a record $8bn (£6.4bn) last year.

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