All the ships that were waiting passed, but … Suez Canal incident left controversy over cause and compensation

The Suez Canal crisis, caused by the stranding of a large container ship, is over. All the waiting ships passed. 11 days have passed since it happened. However, the debate on liability for compensation starts from now on.

In a statement issued on the 3rd (local time), the Suez Canal Management Administration (SCA) said: “After the ‘Evergiven’ ran aground, all the ships waiting in the waterway have completed the passage.”

According to SCA, when the stranded Evergiven container ship was lifted on the 29th of last month, there were 422 ships waiting, of which 61 were the last to pass through the canal. SCA explained that there were 85 ships that would pass through the canal that day, but 24 of them arrived after the Evergiven was supported.

SCA’s investigation into the cause of the accident began on the 31st of the same month. Sailors from the Evergiven claim that the hull was not controlled as expected due to high winds. However, SCA believes that there is a possibility that some crew members were negligent in the course of the voyage, or that machinery related to the operation may have failed. Director Osama Ravi told private broadcaster MBC Masr TV late on the 2nd that the investigation is going well.

Liability for compensation is also controversial. After the 400-meter-long Evergiven intercepted the canal on 23rd last month, the international supply chain was in crisis and it took almost a week for the special rescue team to lift the stranded ship after massive dredging and continued. towing work. The Suez Canal, the road between Europe and Asia, which accounts for 12% of world trade, was cut off, causing enormous economic damage. Egypt claims to have lost $ 14 million a day (about 15.8 billion won) in toll revenue.

Egypt’s position is that it will not free the Evergiven if it does not compensate for the damage. The amount of compensation Egypt said it would claim is $ 1 billion (about 1.1 trillion won). This is an estimate that takes into account transportation costs, canal damage due to dredging and salvage operations, and equipment and labor costs. However, it is still unclear where to claim compensation. If the results of the investigation into the cause of the accident by the Egyptian authorities are known, there is a high possibility of a responsible battle between the Japanese Shoei Steamer, owner of the Evergiven, and the Taiwanese Evergreen, the ship’s operator. . .

Kwon Gyeong-seong reporter [email protected]

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