Two tugboats were mobilised and deployed alongside three naval ships, leading to the successful evacuation of all the 12 crew members aboard the stricken vessel. However, Africa as a whole still faces an abysmal record on maritime deaths.
by Blue Africa News
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) maritime teams successfully rescued all crew members aboard the cargo vessel “Fener,” following a maritime emergency north of Port Said on the morning of Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
Confirming the success of the operation, SCA chairman Osama Rabee said the teams responded swiftly to a distress call from the master who reached out the authority’s main navigation monitoring centre, after the vessel started developing signs of sinking due to bad weather.
“The maritime rescue efforts were successful in rescuing the crew of the cargo ship “Fener” after the increased deviation of the ship and sinking direction,” he announced in a statement shared by SCA.
The incident, the chairman said, occurred outside the Suez Canal’s navigational channel, in the western anchorage area north of Port Said. The operation started at 11.30pm local time on Tuesday, after the authority received an alert from the vessel’s master.
Two tugboats were immediately mobilised and deployed alongside three naval ships, leading to successful evacuation of all the 12 crew members aboard the vessel. All of them were in good health, save for one with a dislocated shoulder.
“All crew members are in good health and providing the necessary healthcare services to an individual with a dislocated shoulder,” added the chairman.
Buoyed by the successful operation, Rabee said that the Suez Canal Authority has over the years developed a range of new maritime and logistics services to suit customer needs in normal and emergency situations, highlighted by a marine ambulance and marine crew exchange services.
He emphasised on SCA’s readiness to handle potential emergencies professionally through an integrated system, that includes maritime competencies and combined experience in marine rescue and marine units specialized in marine rescue, maritime insurance and pollution control.
“Our crisis and disaster management center is closely monitoring developments as part of its mandate to coordinate with other authorities in managing incidents occurring beyond the canal’s waterway,” he added.
According to the chairman, a total of 35 vessels transited the Suez Canal with a combined net tonnage of approximately 1.6 million tons on January 13, 2026.
Vessel accidents remain a major safety concern not only in Africa, but across the globe. Reports indicate that in 2025, a total of 1,455 fatalities from 50 accidents were recorded across the continent.
However, according to the Baird Maritime Passenger Vessel Accident (BMPVA) database, the figure actually represents an improvement on the terrible 2,033 fatalities from 55 accidents in 2024. In 2023, 1,308 fatalities were recorded from 39 accidents.
Figures in the database indicate that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was the worst performer. The country registered 807 reported fatalities from six incidences in 2025, an improvement from 950 deaths from 11 incidences a year before.
Nigeria was second with 292 deaths from seven accidents in 2025, compared to 423 fatalities coming from 13 accidents in 2024.
In his presentation titled “Increasing ferry safety and sustainability in Africa: Issues and solutions” during the interferry annual conference held in Marrakech, Morocco in October 2024, Dr. Paul Adalikwu, Secretary General, Maritime Organization of West and Central Africa (MOWCA) said most safety issues bedeviling vessels in Africa range from overloading, aging and unsafe vessels, inadequate regulation and enforcement, lack of safety equipment, weather-related risks and poor crew training.
“A robust legal framework is essential for maritime safety and sustainability. Countries should endeavor to ratify and implement international maritime conventions, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines,” he proposed.
He added that regional agreements such as the African Union’s Agenda 2063, should be strengthened to promote cooperation among African nations through the harmonisation of laws, and establishing uniform maritime laws across countries to combat illegal activities effectively.
Oliver Ochieng, Blue Africa News
