Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship wedged across the Suez Canal, can be seen on Saturday. Tugs and a specialized suction dredger have been working to remove the huge container ship that is blocking an important waterway for worldwide shipping. Mohamed Elshahed / AP Hide caption
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Mohamed Elshahed / AP
Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship wedged across the Suez Canal, can be seen on Saturday. Tugs and a specialized suction dredger have been working to remove the huge container ship that is blocking an important waterway for worldwide shipping.
Mohamed Elshahed / AP
The pressure to free the container ship stuck in the Suez Canal It took up to a fifth day on Saturday when more than 300 ships waited on both sides to pass through the blockade.
Efforts to get the Ever Given afloat made “significant progress” on Friday evening when the ship’s rudder was freed, according to Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, technical director of Ever Given. But low tide dashed authorities’ hopes of getting the 1,300-foot ship afloat before the weekend.
There have been smugglers for days fight to free the ship by towing and pushing the ship, as it ran aground on Tuesday and blocked the main route between Europe and Asia.
The Suez Canal Authority said in a Explanation Thursday that it officially stopped traffic while resuscitation efforts continued Emphasis on global supply chains already disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
While traffic remains closed, other ships in the canal are considering whether to continue waiting for the ship to be liberated or to take a chance on costly alternative routes like Africa.
Some experts estimate that the congestion that holds up cargo such as groceries, oil and consumer goods is costly Almost $ 10 billion a day.
The strenuous efforts to get the Ever Given hinge afloat through the use of tugs to free the ship during dredging remove sand and mud from the bow of the ship.
On Saturday, 11 tugs were on the float mission and, according to a spokesman for BSM, should continue to drive until midnight local time. The company announced that two more tugs registered in the Netherlands and Italy should arrive by Monday.
A specialized suction dredger that can move 2,000 cubic meters of material per hour also arrived on Thursday to support operations.
In the meantime, the 25 crew members on board, all of them Indian nationals, were safe and responsible for Saturday and remained in “good health and good spirits” according to the BSM.
“You are working closely with everyone involved to get the ship floating again,” said a spokesman for BSM. “The hard work and tireless professionalism of the captain and crew are greatly appreciated.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a briefing Friday that the United States had offered assistance to Egyptian authorities to help reopen the canal.
“We advise our Egyptian partners on how we can best support their efforts,” she said.
The US Navy has also offered assistance according to CNN.
The Suez Canal Authority thanked for offers of international help in one Explanation Friday.
“The SCA appreciates the United States’ offer to contribute to this endeavor and looks forward to working with the United States in this regard to recognize this good initiative which confirms the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries.” it says in the statement.
