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The Ever Given vessel, which is nearly as long as the height of the Empire State Building, ran aground diagonally on the single-lane stretch of the South Canal Tuesday morning after losing the ability to drive amid high winds and a dust storm. the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said in a statement.
You are now blocking traffic in both directions through one of the busiest shipping channels in the world.
Maritime services firm GAC issued a note to clients overnight saying that efforts to free the ship using tugs continued, but that wind conditions and the size of the ship “were hampering the operation.”
The ship tracking software shows five tugs circling Ever Given and three more heading towards it. However, the ship’s GPS signal shows only minor changes in its position during the last 24 hours.
Several dozen ships, including other large container ships, oil and gas tankers, and grain-carrying bulk ships, have receded at both ends of the canal to create one of the worst shipping jams seen in years.
About 30% of the world’s shipping container volume transits the 193-kilometer (120-mile) Suez Canal daily and about 12% of total world trade in all merchandise.
Shipping experts say that if the blockade is not likely to clear within the next 24 to 48 hours, some shipping companies may be forced to divert ships around the southern tip of Africa, adding about a week to the travel.
But the president of the Suez Canal Authority told the media that despite the blockade, some of the cargo was able to move south and efforts to dislodge Ever Given would continue.
