Giant Suez Canal ship freed
The Ever Given has been freed. The container ship was blocking the Suez Canal for nearly a week, holding up billions in trade. Workers succesfully freed the MV Ever Given, according to the Suez Canal Authority and service provider Leth Agencies. The vessel, which is the size of the Empire State Building in New York, had held up nearly 200 other ships, bringing the world's most important trade route to a grinding halt.
While the ship blocking the Suez Canal has just been fully dislodged, the shipping crisis the days-long blockage caused isn't over yet.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a satellite image showing cargo ships backed up, waiting to enter the Suez Canal this evening, hours after authorities said the stuck ship had been freed.
Ships stranded in the Suez Canal will restart their journeys after the Ever Given anchors in the Great Bitter Lake, a Suez Canal Official told CNN on Monday.
"As soon as the ship reaches the waiting place in the Bitter Lakes…the 43 ships waiting in the Bitter Lakes will begin to move south towards the Gulf of Suez,” the source said.
The ships will be traveling in convoys northbound and southbound of the Suez Canal, as the Ever Given stands by for inspections.
The average number of ships that transited through the canal on a daily basis before the accident was between 80 to 90 ships, according to Lloyds List; however, the head of the Suez Canal Authority said that the channel will work 24 hours to facilitate the passage of almost 400 ships carrying billions of dollars in freight.
The journey to cross the canal takes 10 to 12 hours, and in the event the channel operates for 24 hours, two convoys per day will be able to successfully pass.
Still, shipping giant, Maersk issued an advisory telling customers it could take “6 days or more” for the queue created by the Suez Canal blockage to clear. The company said that was an estimate and subject to change as more vessels reach the blockage or are diverted.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a satellite image showing cargo ships backed up, waiting to enter the Suez Canal this evening, hours after authorities said the stuck ship had been freed.
Ships stranded in the Suez Canal will restart their journeys after the Ever Given anchors in the Great Bitter Lake, a Suez Canal Official told CNN on Monday.
"As soon as the ship reaches the waiting place in the Bitter Lakes…the 43 ships waiting in the Bitter Lakes will begin to move south towards the Gulf of Suez,” the source said.
The ships will be traveling in convoys northbound and southbound of the Suez Canal, as the Ever Given stands by for inspections.
The average number of ships that transited through the canal on a daily basis before the accident was between 80 to 90 ships, according to Lloyds List; however, the head of the Suez Canal Authority said that the channel will work 24 hours to facilitate the passage of almost 400 ships carrying billions of dollars in freight.
The journey to cross the canal takes 10 to 12 hours, and in the event the channel operates for 24 hours, two convoys per day will be able to successfully pass.
Still, shipping giant, Maersk issued an advisory telling customers it could take “6 days or more” for the queue created by the Suez Canal blockage to clear. The company said that was an estimate and subject to change as more vessels reach the blockage or are diverted.