The Suez Canal Authority (Sca) will ask for one billion dollars (about 850 million euros) in compensation for the losses suffered as a result of the six-day blockade of maritime traffic caused by the run-down of the gigantic container ship Ever Given. This was announced by the president of the Suez Canal Authority, Admiral Osama Rabie, interviewed by Sada El-Balad. The compensation requested, he explained, will not only cover the loss of $ 14-15 million in revenue per day, but also the reimbursement of expenses for the use of dredgers and tugs used to unblock the cargo.
“It is Egypt’s right to be compensated,” said Rabie, stating that “we have put in a lot of effort and a lot of work to save the ship. We have lost daily income. We deserve compensation ». The Sca president then explained: “We are calculating the costs incurred for the use of dredges and tugs that worked 24 hours a day for six days and we are estimating some damage on the canal bank”.
Rabie then claimed that the giant freighter was refloated professionally and without causing “a single crack” to the hull. “This ship carries over $ 3.5 billion worth of goods. We have saved them a huge amount of money. We saved the ship and the cargo, ”he stressed. “We moved the ship in just six days. It would have taken three months to do so if the accident had occurred in a country other than Egypt, ”he added.
Rabie therefore confirmed that an investigation is underway aimed at understanding the causes of the accident and that Ever Given will remain stationary until its completion, or until an agreement on compensation is reached. “We could reach an agreement in an amicable way and get a lump sum compensation,” said Rabie, hoping that the “case will be closed in two or three days”. Stating that “if they’re smart we won’t fight,” Rabie said that “the owners of Ever Givens are cooperating. They participated in the recovery process and we haven’t had any problems with them in the past.
Ships still waiting to cross the Canal
Meanwhile, 249 ships are still waiting to be able to cross the Suez Canal. He made it known on Twitter there Leth Agencies, explaining that 122 ships are waiting for the green light to be able to transit from Port Said, in the Mediterranean Sea, while 127 ships remain in the transit queue from Suez, the entrance to the channel from the Red Sea. To these are added the two hundred ships that have changed their course due to the blockade.
The investigation and the black box request
And the Suez Canal Authority has launched an investigation into the causes that led the Ever Given container ship to aground, blocking one of the busiest shipping and commercial routes in the world for six days. The Authority, said Councilor Sayed Sheyshe, has asked the ship’s crew to provide data and documents to determine the causes of the accident that took place last Tuesday, but has not yet received a response. The adviser of the Suez Canal Authority, told the television network Onot tv that the ship’s “black box” was also requested, although it has not yet been delivered.
However, Sheyshe expects the investigation to be completed within three to four days. The 400-meter-long, Panama-flagged ship is now anchored in the Great Lakes area, a larger section of the canal, for technical inspections and investigations.