SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 28 March 2024, Thursday |

Investigation begins into how ship got stuck on Suez Canal

Formal investigations into how the giant container ship Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal, shutting down shipping operations in the major global waterway for nearly a week, begin on Wednesday, a canal official told Reuters.

Suez Canal Authority (SCA) Chairman Osama Rabie has suggested weather conditions, including high winds, and human error could have contributed to the grounding on March 23.

The probe will include examining the seaworthiness of the ship and its captain’s actions to help determine the causes, Rabie advisor Captain Sayed Sheasha told Reuters.

Sheasha said the Ever Given’s captain was committed to fully complying with the investigation, which is set to begin on Wednesday.

The 6-day blockage threw global supply chains into disarray after the 400-metre-long (430-yard) ship became jammed diagonally across a southern section of the canal, the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

The incident will likely give rise to flurry of insurance claims, with Lloyd’s of London expecting a “large loss”, possibly amounting to $100 million or more, according to its chairman.

The Japanese owner of the Ever Given said it had not received any lawsuits or claims over the blockage.

A canal source and a shipping agent said investigators had already boarded the ship, which is in a lake that separates 2 sections of the canal, on Tuesday.

The SCA has scheduled accelerated shipping convoys to clear a backlog of over 400 ships that built up at either end of the canal and along its course after the Ever Given became stranded.

It has said it hopes the queues can be cleared by the end of the week.

    Source:
  • Reuters