The Suez Canal Just Got Blocked Again
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The Suez Canal reportedly got blocked for a second time this year as a container ship ran aground in the midst of the channel.
Navigation through the canal in Egypt was temporarily suspended as a result of the blockage, which was reported by local news outlets who cited the Suez Canal Authority.
According to the authority, the ship became stuck at the 54km mark in the channel and caused disruption to four ships travelling from Port Said.
The Suez Canal is used for global trades, with cargo boats regularly passing through the area in order to transport goods around the world. News of its blockage comes just months after a similar incident involving the Ever Given container ship.
The vessel, which measured nearly 400 metres, became wedged in the canal for days after the wind blew it off course in March.
The incident cost Egypt millions of dollars in lost revenue and caused £6.5 billion of global trade to be delayed every day as ships behind the Ever Given were forced to wait for its removal or attempt delivery via different, longer routes.
Clearly wanting to avoid another massive disruption, the Suez Canal Authority is said to have quickly mobilised teams to attempt to refloat the vessel today, September 9.
Thankfully, reports indicate the boat was successfully refloated a short time later, after which it was able to continue on its journey and clear the channel.
Speaking to The National about the situation, a source said there had been a ‘minor’ issue and confirmed that it had since been resolved.
The efforts proved much faster than the attempts to move the Ever Given, which required the assistance of specialist teams who were flown in, as well as extra tug boats and dredgers that were dispatched to assist the operation.
Even after the Ever Given was freed, it continued to be held by authorities in Egypt as they demanded its owners, Japanese companies Luster Maritime and Higaki Sangyo Kaisha, pay up to $1 billion in compensation. It wasn’t until July, four months after the Ever Given first got stuck, that it finally reached its destination and was able to unload its cargo.
Following the incident earlier this year, the Suez Canal Authority authority announced a multi-billion dollar project to widen sections of the canal and install other infrastructure in the hope of ensuring no other ships would run aground in the same manner.
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Topics: News, Egypt, Ever Given, Now, Suez Canal
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The National NewsThe National News
