Suez canal unclogged after beached giant container ship floats free (video)

CAIRO, 29 March 2021: (Updated)

The massive container ship stuck across the Suez Canal for almost a week has been set free, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said today.

The SCA aired live footage of the Panama-flagged ship Ever Given moving away from the shore after it returned to its normal position.

Canal services firm Leth Agencies said the 400m-long and 220,000-tonne vessel is currently sailing north, “underway to Great Bitter Lake.”

The good news came just hours after SCA had announced the vessel was stuck again in its original beached position due to strong winds.

SCA head Osama Rabie had earlier said rescue teams had been working to straighten the course of the Panama-flagged ship Ever Given to clear one of the world’s busiest trade routes.

The vessel’s course had earlier been readjusted significantly by 80%, while the stern has moved away from the canal bank by 102m, Rabie said.

He said efforts to fully dislodge the tanker resumed at 11.30am local time (0930GMT) when the water level rose to its highest point of up to 2m to completely change the 400m-long and 220,000-tonne vessel’s course.

The Ever Given ran aground in the canal when the crew lost visibility amid strong winds and a dust storm last Tuesday.

The blockade prevented a total of 326 other cargo vessels from passing through the major shipping route, pressing home the point of how vital a shipping artery the canal remains.

The 193km waterway connects the Mediterranean and Red seas, providing the shortest shipping route between Asia and Europe.

Last year, a total of 18,829 ships passed through the Suez with a total net tonnage of 1.17 billion tonnes, bringing in revenue of US$5.61 billion.

The Suez Canal, inaugurated in 1869, is a major source of income in Egypt, alongside tourism.

– EFE