Suez Canal: Container Ship Largely Freed

A cargo ship that was blocking the Suez Canal has been successfully refloated.

The 400-metre-long vessel – named the “Ever Given” – was passing through the waterway in Egypt when it ran aground diagonally on 23 March.

By today, Monday 29 March, it had been corrected by 80% and partially freed from the canal bank, according to the Suez Canal Authority.

The salvage operation saw teams working non-stop around the close, digging deep trenches near the front of “Ever Given”, with tugboats pulling the ship to near freedom.

The sea-level route is one of the busiest in the world, with a daily average of 51 ships passing through it. The blockage not only paused cargo worth £6.5 billion on board, but at least 10% of the global shipping trade, resulting in daily revenue losses running into the millions.

Rescue efforts are still ongoing, and an announcement is expected within the next few days.

Image Credit: Source