Suez Canal
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz passes under the Friendship Bridge during a transit of the Suez Canal in this photo provided by the U.S. Navy, taken Oct. 20, 2013. Reuters/U.S. Navy

(Reuters) - Two container ships collided in Egypt's Suez Canal early on Saturday, delaying traffic through a vital global trade route for several hours, sources in the canal authority said.

Traffic resumed after the Danish-flagged Susan Maersk and the Liberian-flagged Margaret Oldendorff collided near Ismailia while en route to the Mediterranean Sea, the sources said.

No casualties were reported, but the Margaret Oldendorff sustained a puncture above the water's surface, one of the sources said.

The Suez Canal is one of the world's most strategic waterways, facilitating much of the maritime trade between Europe and Asia.

It provides about $5 billion in annual revenue for Egypt, which is currently digging an extension to the 145-year-old waterway to reduce wait time.

(Writing by Stephen Kalin; Editing by Crispian Balmer)