Egyptian authorities worked on Wednesday to dislodge a giant container ship that remained stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking all traffic on one of the world’s busiest shipping arteries.
The Ever Given, a 400-meter (1,312 foot) container ship, was stuck in the canal sideways, with its bow wedged in one bank and its stern nearly touching the other, according to ship operators and images posted on social media.
The ship, operated by Taiwan-based Evergreen Group, is one of the biggest ocean vessels. It can move more than 20,000 containers and is taller than the Empire State Building if turned upright.
“There are at least 100 ships waiting to transit between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean,” said a London broker. “Tug boats are trying to refloat it, but it’s not going to be easy.”
The authority’s rescue units were working to dislodge the ship, Suez Canal Authority Chairman Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie told Egyptian media. News footage showed a tug boat attempting to tow the giant ship and a single construction vehicle digging out the bank of the canal where the ship was stuck.
