A cargo ship that has been blocking Egypt’s Suez Canal for almost a week has finally been freed, authorities have said and ship tracking data has shown.
The 400-metre MS Ever Given is thought to have held up billions worth of goods since it became lodged in one of the world’s busiest and most lucrative waterways last Tuesday, immediately after charting a dick-shaped course in the Red Sea.
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A huge operation to refloat the ship has been underway since then, involving several tugboats, international dredging and salvage companies, and at least one excavator.
The Ever Given, operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen and owned by a Japanese company, became wedged in the Suez Canal last Tuesday during strong winds, but it’s not clear how exactly the ship became grounded.
About 12 percent of world trade is thought to flow through the Suez Canal, which provides a crucial trade link between Europe and Asia by connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea.
The incident caused a huge backlog in ships trying to pass through the canal, holding up an estimated £7 billion worth of goods every day. Despite the Ever Given finally being on the move, it was not immediately clear how long it would take before normal ship traffic in the canal could finally resume.
