Ever Given, which is blocking Suez Canal, ‘could be refloated soon’

At least 150 ships were waiting for the Ever Given to be cleared, including vessels near Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea, Port Suez on the Red Sea and those already stuck in the canal system on Egypt’s Great Bitter Lake, said Leth Agencies, which provides services for the canal. (Image: AP)

The giant container ship Ever Given, which has been stranded in the Suez Canal for days, could be set afloat by March 27 evening (Tokyo time), the owner of the vessel said.

Yukito Higaki, President, Shoei Kisen, said that 10 tugboats have been pressed into service to dredge the canal bottom and the banks.Egypt races to dislodge giant vessel blocking Suez Canal

Higaki said at a press conference in Japan’s Imabari that they are “continuing work to remove sediment as of now, with additional dredging tools”, reported BBC.

“The ship is not taking water, but there is no problem with its rudders and propellers. So, once it refloats, it would be able to operate,” he said.

However, Ever Given’s technical manager Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) had said on March 26 that an attempt to refloat the container had failed.Crew of Ever Given, cargo ship blocking the Suez Canal, are all Indian

Additionally, the United States has offered help and sent a team of US Navy experts to help dislodge the container ship. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki has said the US was “tracking the situation very closely”.

Ever Given has been stuck in the Suez Canal since March 23 and caused a massive cargo traffic jam of over 200 vessels in the Red Sea. Nearly 12 percent of global trade passes through the canal that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It is the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe. The alternative route around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa takes about two weeks more to navigate.