A Liberian-registered fuel tanker broke down in the Suez Canal early Sunday, blocking the passage of 40 ships and forcing the strategic Egyptian waterway's temporary closure, the Suez Canal authority said.

The authority released a statement saying the "Tropic," carrying 85,000 tons of fuel, suffered mechanical problems 45 miles south of the Mediterranean coastal city of Port Said.

Efforts were under way to transfer part of the tanker's 85,000 ton load of fuel to another ship and repair the stranded vessel.

The authority said in its statement that 10 tankers traveling south on the canal are stuck behind the "Tropic," while another 30 ships bound for the Mediterranean have also been forced to wait.

The Suez Canal, which opened in 1869, is one of Egypt's main foreign currency earners. It was closed after the June 1967 Mideast war and reopened in 1975 by late President Anwar Sadat.

Source: Agencies