Suez Canal breakthrough? Stranded ship Ever Given 're-floated'; Indian crew safe: Reports

Update: As per reports from Egypt, the ship has now been re-floated, though it is unclear how soon it will pave way for traffic on the Suez.

Egyptian Media says the vessel was freed (to an unclear extent) at roughly 4:30 am local time. Ship tracking sites are beaming live position and orientation data regarding the Ever Given showing that it has been moved away from the wall of the canal.

An all-Indian crew comprising 25 Indian nationals remains aboard the MV Ever Given container ship that continues to be wedged in the Suez Canal, blocking it. According to the Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) - the technical company that manages the ship- the crew is safe, in good health, and working closely with all parties involved to re-float the vessel. Their hard work and tireless professionalism are greatly appreciated, the company's statement reads. Efforts to dislodge the vessel are continuing at full speed, though with limited success, as it has only been moved a few inches. The Egyptian government which runs the Suez Canal is considering plans also to unload it, if required.

The company BSM’s primary objectives are to safely refloat the vessel and for marine traffic in the Suez Canal to resume, it says. Recovery efforts on the ground are being coordinated by Smit Salvage and the Suez Canal Authority. BSM said that they are grateful for the continued efforts of all those involved in the ongoing re-floating operations as they continue to work closely together. On 23 March 2021, the container ship ran aground after strong winds and a sandstorm caused low visibility and poor navigation, further resulting in a traffic jam.

Indian Govt Chalks Out 4-point Plan for Suez Canal Blockage

On March 27, in order to deal with the situation arising from the blockage of the Suez Canal, the Ministry of Commerce has come up with a four-point concept. It advised that the ships get re-routed via Cape of Good Hope. The plan chalked out in a meeting convened by the logistics division, Ministry of Commerce on Friday also includes prioritisation of cargo, freight rates, advisory to ports and re-routing of ships.

The meeting was chaired by Pawan Agarwal, Special Secretary (Logistics) and attended by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, ADG Shipping, Container Shipping Lines Association (CSLA) and Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

Blockage of Suez Canal

Suez Canal is a 193-km canal- an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It also provides the shortest sea link between Asia and Europe, bypassing Africa. On Tuesday, the 224,000-tonne container ship MV Ever Given was grounded after strong winds and a sandstorm caused low visibility and poor navigation, which caused complete blockage of the traffic and delayed a number of ships carrying cargo ranging from oil to consumer goods.

(Image Credits: AP)