Massive container ship freed from Suez Canal

Agencies | Cairo

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A massive container ship that has blocked the Suez Canal since Tuesday has been freed and re-floated, maritime service provider Inchcape Shipping said Monday.

The Panama-flagged ship, Ever Given, had veered off its course in a single-lane stretch of the canal during a sandstorm.

Dredgers and tug boats had been working around the clock to free the massive 400-metre-long-vessel, according to Deutsche press agency (dpa).

The high tide overnight which was accompanied by a full moon helped to free the ship, the service provider indicated.

The blockage of the canal led to disrupted supply chains and sent ripples through global markets.

When the Suez Canal will be reopened to traffic was initially not clear.

According to the canal authority, around 370 ships were waiting for passage on both sides of the canal, including 25 oil tankers.

The Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, provides the shortest shipping route between Asia and Europe.

The blockage was costing the canal operator 13 million to 14 million dollars in losses per day, according to the head of the state Suez Canal Authority (SCA).

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi had ordered preparations for the possibility of reducing the load of containers on the vessel to help free it.