The giant container ship Ever Given grounded in the Suez Canal for over two days has been partially towed, with traffic expected to resume as soon as the vessel is refloated to another position, Gulf Agency Company (GAC), the leading shipping and logistics company operating the canal, said on Thursday
CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th March, 2021) The giant container ship Ever Given grounded in the Suez Canal for over two days has been partially towed, with traffic expected to resume as soon as the vessel is refloated to another position, Gulf Agency Company (GAC), the leading shipping and logistics company operating the canal, said on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, a source in the company told Sputnik that the waterway one of the world's busiest trade routes was still blocked and the rescue operation involving eight tugs to refloat the 400-meter (1,312-foot) ship was underway.
"UPDATE 12:00 hours local time [10:00 GMT]: According to information from the Suez Canal Authority, the grounded vessel has been partially refloated and is now alongside the Canal bank. Convoys and traffic are expected to resume as soon as vessel is towed to another position," the GAC said in a press release.
The 224,000-tonne Ever Given got stranded on Tuesday morning while on the way from China to the Dutch port city of Rotterdam after losing the ability to steer due to strong winds and a dust storm. The incident completely blocked the traffic along the waterway delaying dozens of ships carrying different products from oil to consumer goods, as they were forced to re-route or wait for their turn to enter the canal.
The blockage of the canal, the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe through which about 12 percent of global trade passes, triggered a rally of oil prices in international markets, as multiple oil tankers were reportedly affected by the disruptions.
