Ever Given, Megaship Stuck In Egypt’s Suez Canal, Finally Freed

Shipping activity is set to resume at the Suez Canal after the Ever Given, a ship stuck in the waterway, was freed.

Ever Given, a vessel headed for Rotterdam, had gotten stuck in the canal on Tuesday, March 23.

Egypt’s Suez Canal is one of the world’s busiest shipping channels and the shortest shipping route between Asia and Europe.

The 200,000-tonne ship is the length of four football pitches with the capacity of carrying 20,000 containers.

Tracking data by Lloyd List, a shipping news journal, estimates that 370 ships are waiting to pass through the canal, including bulk carriers and crude tankers

Explaining the incident that led to the blockage, the Suez Canal Authority said the vessel was unable to maintain a straight path due to high winds and reduced visibility caused by a sand storm.

Horns sounded in celebration as the refloated ship moved north toward Bitter Lake after being freed from the mud.

The rescue operation had involved the use of dredging and excavation work spanning through days.

A team from Smit Salvage, a Dutch firm, also joined efforts in refloating the Ever Given.

The grounded ship had also blocked an estimated $9.6 billion (N3.93 trillion) worth of goods per day.