Ship runs aground in Suez Canal, causes 100 vessel traffic jam

A container ship ran aground in Egypt’s Suez Canal yesterday causing a traffic jam of vessels.

Tug boats were deployed to push the 400 metre-long ship in the right direction, but freeing the vessel may take days. Authorities are expected to try removing sand from around the area where the vessel is grounded.

The ship became trapped at around 07:40 local time (05:40 GMT) in the vital waterway which links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.

 

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Some 100 ships are thought to be held up as a result, according to shipbrokers and mapping data compiled by Bloomberg.

The ship’s operator, Taiwan-based Evergreen Group, wasn’t immediately able to respond to a request for comment.

Around ten per cent of the world’s trade flows through the Suez Canal.

READ: Egypt denies impact of Israel shipping line on Suez Canal