Operations at the Panama Canal were unaffected by the sinking of the Venezuela-flagged 4 250-dwt VPM Alita on Sunday.
The ship, owned by Venezuela Feeder Maritime of Puerto Cabello, had been at anchor off Colon near the Atlantic-side entrance of the Panama Canal since March 2015. It was reportedly struck by another ship that was attempting to drop anchor.
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said in a statement that the waterway was operating normally. "The sinking of this vessel is not affecting the operations or traffic in the aquatic waterway," ACP said.
The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) has launched an official investigation into the sinking of the ship. The small crew were evacuated before the ship sank and were unharmed.
