A giant container ship ran aground in the Suez Canal after being blown away by a gust of wind, the shipping company that operates it said, and shipping traffic has stopped on one of the busiest trade routes in the world. A photo shows the MV Ever Given, a Taiwanese ship 400 meters long and 59 wide, crossing the canal and blocking all traffic. “The container ship accidentally ran aground, probably after being hit by a gust of wind,” said Evergreen Marine Corp.
The company “is in talks with interested parties, including the Authority that manages the canal, to remove the boat as soon as possible,” he said. Following the accident, more than 100 ships were waiting to be allowed to pass through the Suez Canal.
According to the maritime surveillance site Vessel Finder, the ship was on its way to Rotterdam. “The tugs are currently trying to get the ship back on course,” Leth Agencies, a company that provides services to customers using the channel, told Twitter. Egyptian authorities have yet to comment on the incident.
Inaugurated in 1869, the Suez Canal guarantees the passage of 10% of international maritime trade. Nearly 19,000 ships used it last year, according to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA). The canal is a vital source of revenue for Egypt, bringing in $ 5.61 billion last year. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced in 2015 a project to develop the canal aimed at reducing waiting times and doubling the number of ships using it by 2023.
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