SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 29 March 2024, Friday |

Ever Given, the ship that blocked Suez Canal in March, crosses the canal again

The massive cargo ship Ever Given, which was responsible for blocking the Suez canal for six days in March, returned to Egypt on Friday for the first time since the tragedy.

The ship, which was its route from the United Kingdom to China, was part of a convoy of 26 ships travelling from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, according to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA). From the south, 36 ships made their way across the river.

The Ever Given was escorted through the canal by a crew of SCA senior pilots and two tugboats, according to a statement from the authority.

The vessel, one of the world’s largest container ships, became jammed across the canal in high winds on March 23, halting traffic in both directions and disrupting global trade.

Once it was dislodged, the 400-metre (1,312-foot) vessel left Egypt on July 7, 106 days after becoming wedged across a southern section of the waterway.

Egypt released the Ever Given after protracted negotiations and an undisclosed settlement reached between the SCA and the ship’s owners and insurers. It arrived in the Dutch port of Rotterdam on July 29 before heading to Felixstowe, England.

Roughly 15% of world shipping traffic transits the Suez Canal, the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

Friday’s voyage through the canal was the Ever Given’s 22nd in the waterway.

Shipping trafficking websites Marinetraffic.com and Vesselfinder.com showed the ship in the Red Sea after crossing the canal.

    Source:
  • Reuters