Container ship partially freed from Suez shoreline

The stern of the Ever Given, a container ship that ran aground in the narrow Suez Canal due to strong winds, has been freed from the shoreline and refloated, according to canal authorities.

The Ever Given has been blocking the busy trade route for almost a week, forcing reroutings and long tailbacks. Tugs and dredgers have been used to dig out sand and mud from under the vessel while wrenching it away from the shoreline.

Authorities said the ship has been course-corrected by 80%. There are hopes that traffic could start passing through the canal again within hours, but they have warned that completing the operation will not be easy.

The CEO of a salvage company involved in the rescue explained that they would try to remove sand and clay from underneath the bow, where the ship is still stuck, but that containers would have to be lifted from the ship if this didn’t work.

Vessels will be able to start using the canal again once the Ever Given is moved to a waiting area in a broader section of the canal.

Source: BBC News