World

Ship in blocked convoy in Egypt's Suez Canal on move: report

  • Port agent GAC said the stranded ship, Ever Given, had been partially refloated and moved alongside the canal bank.
  • Dozens of vessels were stuck, waiting for rescue boats to free the 400m-long (1,312ft) ship, which was knocked off course by strong winds.
Published March 24, 2021

The first ship from a convoy that had been blocked by a stranded vessel in Egypt's Suez Canal is on the move, indicating a resumption of traffic in the waterway, Reuters reported on Wednesday.

Port agent GAC said the stranded ship, Ever Given, had been partially refloated and moved alongside the canal bank.

Eight tug boats were working to refloat the ship, while diggers on the ground had been removing sand from where it was wedged into the side of the canal bank.

Dozens of vessels were stuck, waiting for rescue boats to free the 400m-long (1,312ft) ship, which was knocked off course by strong winds. Egypt had reopened the canal's older channel to divert some traffic until the grounded ship can move again.

About 12 percent of the global trade passed through the canal, which connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. It is also the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe.

Reuters, quoting local sources, said there were at least 30 ships blocked to the north of the Ever Given, and three to the south.

The ship is registered in Panama, was bound for the port city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands from China.

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