25 Mar 2021

Egyptian authorities are working hard to re-float a super-sized cargo ship that has gotten stuck in the Suez Canal. The SCA (Suez Canal Authority) has announced that it has re-opened the old canal in order to divert traffic there.

The cargo ship Ever Green set sail from China headed for Rotterdam. While passing through the Suez Canal, the ship ran aground and became lodged sideways, blocking navigation through the canal. The Chairman of the SCA attributed the accident to bad weather, specifically high winds, which negatively affected the ability to guide the ship.

Eight tugboats are working to float the ship, and the Dutch marine services company Smit Salvage has also been hired to help with the operation. The ship is 400 meters long, 59 meters wide, and has a cargo capacity of 224,000 tons. It raises the flag of Panama, and is owned by the Taiwanese company Evergreen Marine Corporation.

(Source: BBC Arabic, al-Youm al-Sabee, CNN Arabic, Ahram Online, Egypt Today, Associated Press, Reuters)