"Ever Given" in the Suez Canal: More excavators, more tugs

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Problem ship "Ever Given": Nothing has progressed for almost a week

Photo: - / AFP

Nothing has progressed in the Suez Canal since last Tuesday.

The global economic effects of the blockade of this enormously important sea route are now clearly noticeable.

And despite all efforts, the container ship "Ever Given" is still stranded.

The rescue and rescue teams want to make another attempt to haul them free on Monday morning with additional tugs.

The competent sewer authority made this decision according to media reports during the night.

Previously, excavators should continue to remove soil under the ship's bow.

In addition, another special excavator is on the way to support the work.

If the freighter is not towed free by Monday evening, orders from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi are to begin unloading containers from the ship.

The pressure on those responsible is increasing because around 370 ships are waiting to pass through, including 25 oil tankers, and the economic damage continues to grow.

So far, the 400 meter long ship could only be moved a few meters (read more about the technical details of the salvage here).

The ship of a Japanese owner, about the size of the Empire State Building in New York, was heading for Rotterdam when it ran aground while crossing the canal with two pilots on board on Tuesday and has since blocked the passage.

According to initial investigations, the cause was "strong wind," it said.

"Human error" cannot be ruled out either.

Containers weighing tons - at a height of 60 meters

An attempt to lift hundreds of containers from the ship with a crane, for example, and thus reduce its load, would take days or even weeks.

It would be a logistical challenge to unload the large-capacity containers, which weigh tons, from a height of almost 60 meters in the middle of the desert and without the infrastructure of a port.

The "Ever Given" can transport up to 18,000 containers.

The 25 crew members, all from India, are doing well and still on board.

So far there is no information about possible damage to the cargo or pollution of the water.

Due to the blockade that lasted for days, Egypt is losing important income.

In 2020, the Canal Authority earned around $ 5.6 billion from the transit of 18,800 ships.

jok / dpa