A huge cargo container ship is stuck in Suez Canal, Egypt. Due to this, there has been a huge traffic jam in the canal. Officials gave information about this on Wednesday. The Suez eye connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Ships from Asia to Europe do not have to travel all over Africa via this route. The ship named MV Ever Given has the flag of Panama on it. The ship does business between Asia and Europe.
It is not yet known what caused the ship to get stuck in the canal. The ship is operated by a Taiwanese shipping company called Evergreen Marine Corps. The company said in a statement, when Ever Given entered the Suez Canal, it faced strong winds at the same time. An Egyptian official said that the strong wind is the reason for the ship getting stuck in the canal. On Tuesday, strong winds were blowing in this area and there was a sandstorm, during this time winds were moving at a speed of 50 km per hour.
Efforts are being made to direct it with small ships
Bernhard Schultt, who manages Ever Give, said that all crew members aboard the ship are safe. No injuries have been reported yet. According to data from MarineTraffic.com, the front of the ship is touching the eastern wall of the canal. While its back part is quite close to the western wall. Many small ships have gathered around it and are trying to pull it forward.
50 ships pass through the Suez Canal every day
Egyptian officials said it may take up to two days to straighten the airplane with small ships. The ship is stuck near the southern mouth of the canal near the city of Suez. There is a single lane for ships. Professor R. Mercogliano at Campbell University said, “The stranding of the ship could cause significant damage to the trade between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.” Every day 50 cargo ships pass through the Suez Canal. With the closure of the canal, no ship will be able to go from north to south.
The ship is 400 meters long
The Ever Given ship sailed for Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Built in 2018, the ship is 400 meters in length and 59 meters in width. It is one of the largest cargo ships in the world. On this, 20 thousand containers can be loaded at a time. The open Suez Canal in 1869 is one of the routes for transporting oil, natural gas and raw materials from east to west. 10 percent of the world’s trade is through this route. Through this, there is a big contribution to the revenue of Egypt.