A Hong Kong-flagged ship briefly ran aground in Egypt's vital Suez Canal, though authorities have said they were able to refloat it after it momentarily disrupted the waterway.

The Xin Hai Tong 23 ran aground at the southern mouth of the Suez Canal on Thursday, tracking data showed. Leth Agencies, which oversees traffic in the canal, acknowledged the grounding. Over two hours later, Leth said they were able to refloat it.

"The Suez Canal Authority has successfully refloated M/V XIN HAI TONG 23 at 0740hrs (0440 GMT). The northbound convoy will enter at 0930hrs," Leth Agencies said in a tweet.

In a statement, canal authorities said they were informed of an engine malfunction and deployed tugboats to successfully refloat the ship.

Refinitiv Eikon shipping data had shown the ship, which sails under the Hong Kong flag, as "not under command" near the southern end of the canal. It was initially positioned at an angle with its stern abutting the canal's eastern side but the ship appeared to have been moved towards the centre and pointed south.

Leth had previously tweeted that the vessel was grounded at 4 AM local time, disrupting at least two convoys of ships.

Shortest canal between Asia, Europe

The ship is a bulk carrier, which typically carries cargo. The ship measures some 190 metres (625 feet) by 32 metres (105 feet).

The ship had originated from Dhuba port in Saudi Arabia. It is owned by Xiang B12 HK International Ship Lease and managed by Tosco Keymax International Ship Management.

Approximately 12 percent of the world's trade moves through the Suez Canal, the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

The Ever Given, a colossal container ship that crashed into a bank on a single-lane stretch of the canal in March 2021, blocking the waterway, was bigger.

A massive salvage effort by a flotilla of tugboats, helped by the tides, freed the skyscraper-sized vessel six days later, ending the crisis and allowing hundreds of waiting ships to pass through the canal.