The other six crew members were rescued and transferred to the hospital for further care, Rabie said in televised statements on the Sada El-Balad TV channel.

According to the SCA, the Fahd tugboat collided with the LPG tanker around the 51 kilometre point in the Al-Balah bypass.

The collision damaged the tugboat’s hull, causing it to sink.

The chairman explained in a statement that the collision occurred while the tanker was crossing the Suez Canal as part of the southbound convoy on its journey from Singapore to the United States.

Rabie said that northbound traffic in the canal had not been interrupted.

In a follow-up statement on Sunday, the SCA said that southbound traffic had resumed via the canal's eastern bypass.

Salvage operations are set to begin after the last vessel has transited the area.

The China Gas Legend, currently sailing under the flag of Hong Kong, is 230 metres long and 36 metres wide, with a draft of 27 feet and a total load of 52,000 tons.

Currently, the ship is waiting in Port Said until the procedures related to the accident are completed.