The Ever Given cargo ship that has been stuck in the Suez Canal was freed Monday, while maritime traffic has now resumed in the canal, according to reports.
The ship’s stern was partially refloated early Monday after it was entrenched in the canal’s shoreline for about a week, BBC reported. The bow of the ship remained stuck but the ship was eventually freed after ten tugboats helped move the vessel and several dredgers were used to vacuum up sand.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) released a statement Monday that the ship being partially freed was the result of “successful push and tow maneuvers which led to the restoration of 80% of the vessel’s direction.” The Ever Green’s stern is now located 102 meters away from the canal’s riverbank, compared to the previous four meters, the SCA announced. (RELATED: Ships Considering Detour Around Africa If Vessel Stuck In Suez Canal Isn’t Cleared Soon)
However, the ship is not completely freed yet, USA Today reported. “Don’t cheer too soon,” said Peter Berdowski, CEO of Boskalis, the company that was hired to help free the ship. “The good news is that the stern is free but we saw that as the simplest part of the job.”
Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), has announced today, Monday 29th March, 2021, that the Panamanian container ship has been successfully refloated.#Egypt #Suez #SuezCanal #EVERGIVEN #Evergreen #BreakingNews|#قناة_السويس pic.twitter.com/gYGsyzuH7R
— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) March 29, 2021
Crews will resume their efforts to free the ship during the Suez Canal’s high tide, which will allow Ever Given to have its direction fully restored and positioned in the middle of the canal, according to the SCA statement.
Maritime traffic in the canal could restart as soon as the ship was transferred to a wider section of the canal, the BBC reported. There are currently 367 ships waiting to use the canal—it can take up to three and a half days for all of them to pass through, the BBC reported. $9.6 billion worth of goods has been stalled each day as the result of the blocking, according to the outlet.