Authorities inspect the Ever Given which ran aground in the Suez Canal
The operation to move the Ever Given container ship, which is still aground in the Suez Canal, has reportedly been suspended until Thursday.
It comes after an Egyptian official warned that the effort could take at least two days. Marine traffic has been backed up in both directions of the Suez Canal since it became stuck on Tuesday morning. According to the Suez Canal Authority, historical sections of the canal have been opened up in a bid to ease the bottleneck and get ships moving again.
Experts believe the backlog caused by the blockage could take ‘several days to weeks to clear’.
The 200,000-tonne Ever Given has not been partially re-floated, authorities said after providing inaccurate information about the rescue operation earlier.
Normally, about 50 ships transit between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea in both directions every day.
Strong winds were to blame for the Ever Given’s grounding and left it stuck sideways in the vital passage, according to its owners.
Ever Given, which carries Panama’s flag and whose operator Evergreen is based in Taiwan, was travelling from China to Rotterdam in the Netherlands and had been due to arrive on 1 April.
Read more:
- Suez Canal: A brief history of the Egyptian trade route and the Ever Given stranded in its waters
- How will Suez Canal blockage impact global trade?
- Built out of spite, Lebanon’s skinniest building now among most valued real estate
- Israel election exit polls suggest deadlock despite Netanyahu gaining most seats
