Updated March 24th, 2021 at 16:18 IST
Huge container ship accidentally blocks Suez Canal causing massive jam, netizens 'curious'
Countries incurred losses per hour as Egypt’s most trafficked, and strategically important shipping lane was entirely blocked by the overturned container ship.
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A 200,000-tonne hull of Ever Given en route to the Mediterranean from China Red Sea overturned bringing traffic in one of the world’s busiest maritime trade lanes Suez Canal to a halt. Countries incurred losses per hour as Egypt’s most trafficked, and strategically important shipping lane was entirely blocked by the toppled shipping container, which hampered 12 percent of the world’s total trade by volume as several oil tankers and consumer goods vessels gridlocked behind it.
Even as Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority (SCA) launched emergency operations with tugs to free at least 100 stuck vessels that had attempted to transit around Ever Given, the 400m-long Taiwan-owned vessel, in a 'never before seen' scenario, impeded all transportation. Moreover, an additional 42 vessels arriving at the canal northbound were stalled in line, waiting. The world’s cargo traffic desperately watched for Ever Given, which had wedged lengthways due to “strong winds” after changing its course, to be rescued and sailed again.
So, the #SuezCanal is blocked...
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton)
Massive container ship EVER GIVEN stuck in the most awkward way possible.
Ongoing for hours. Every tug Egypt could spare appear to be trying to pull it free.
Vessel tracker: https://t.co/MsTUgVgyTH pic.twitter.com/08w4qpPqln
All crew are safe and accounted for, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement which manages the Ever Given confirmed in a statement . There have been no reports of injuries or pollution.
Getting ship 'out of trouble'
Taiwan-based Evergreen Line, the time charterer of the vessel, shot a response statement saying that they were in touch with relevant authorities including the canal management bureau to get the ship “out of trouble”. Meanwhile, shipbroker Banchero Costa & Co issued a statement, stating that freeing the vessel could take days. Bernhard Schulte Ship management, meanwhile, released a map showing that the container ship longer than Eiffel tower had remained in the same position till about 2 am Wednesday.
Ship tracking data on Refinitiv Eikon depicted that at least seven tug boats came to rescue the Rotterdam-bound Ever Given vessel and blocked other oil cargo entering the canal, according to the live updates shared by port agents GAC. Many ships were detained at the anchorages, the vessels sailing in Ever Given direction had to turn around for ballast. As per the SCA marine division, the canal has 19,000 ships that commute in the route, as many as 51 ships per day, and the toppled ship container started a massive traffic pile up.
If you think youre having a bad day, spare a thought for the helmsman who somehow managed to stick his giantass ship sideways into the goddamn Suez Canal & blocked it into literal gridlock & is currently costing every seafaring nation of Earth like millions of dollars every hour pic.twitter.com/DIWAxwctXa
— Shiv Ramdas (@nameshiv)
There's a ship stuck in the Suez Canal right now. pic.twitter.com/0k3MrXYu6o
— Cory Newman (@CoryDNewman)
You know that feeling when you stall at the lights and hold up traffic? This is a bit like that. A big boat is stuck in the Suez Canal and the queue is quite something. https://t.co/UZRiM6K98u pic.twitter.com/hSj4oR9AtP
— Jack Stilgoe (@Jackstilgoe)
Update: still stuck.
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton)
How big is this #SuezCanal plug? Ultra big.
MV #EVERGIVEN
Size: 400m long / 59m wide
Gross tonnage: 219,079
Capacity: 20,388 TEUs (20ft container equivalents).
One of the largest container ships in operation. pic.twitter.com/rJunpJrAKE
After all day trying to refloat the mega container ship 'Ever Given', in the Suez Canal, there is a steady log jam of ships waiting in the Mediterranean & Red Sea and in the canal itself pic.twitter.com/aGFKieoWqE
— N South (@nat_ahoy)
lmao-ing at the excavator trying to single-handedly widen the suez canal https://t.co/8I8E4ejehU
— Freight Ship "Ever Given" Captain (@lib_crusher)
2) I found this spot on. https://t.co/Ln2EBWAN2p
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing)
All twenty ships waiting in the Suez Canal now: pic.twitter.com/fX4CalrcA0
— Richard Chambers (@newschambers)
Think we can also all identify with the one person desperately trying to excavate the ship out... with a tiny digger #suezcanal pic.twitter.com/9CACBNP5wD
— St. Mary’s School Council 2020/21 (@smcouncil2020)
I think they're going to need a bigger digger! 🙈#SuezCanal pic.twitter.com/0Y858Sf6Nt
— Damien McGrath (@Damien_McGrath)
Someone said #Suezcanal? pic.twitter.com/367OyQQ1A8
— Chenny (@ImNotChenny)
(Image Credit: Twitter/@UrosZx)
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Published March 24th, 2021 at 16:18 IST