DEVELOPING STORY
The giant container ship has been stuck for a week, blocking one of the world’s busiest waterways.
The Ever Given has been “successfully refloated” on the Suez Canal, according to Inchcape Shipping Services, a week after it ran aground in high winds blocking one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Inchcape said the 400-metre long (1,312-foot) ship began to move at 4.30am (02:30 GMT).
“She is being secured at the moment. More information about next steps will follow once they are known,” the company said on Twitter.
A video posted on Facebook early on Monday appeared to show the stern of the container ship that had been stuck in the Suez Canal swung towards the canal bank, opening space in the narrow channel.
The video showed tug boats moving around the Ever Given container ship and voices could be heard shouting in celebration.
The Reuters news agency reported that it had seen images of the ship straightened in the canal and quoted unnamed local sources saying the Ever Given was back on its “normal course”.
Ship-tracking service VesselFinder has changed the ship’s status to under way on its website.
I count 17 tugs & support vessels on scene right now.
If you want to see how hard they have strained on the #EVERGIVEN I’ve included some of their tracks here.
Nice indirect illustration of how much the ship has shifted. pic.twitter.com/0lmJEr7dU4
— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) March 29, 2021
M/V EVER GIVEN has partially refloated in the #SuezCanal, pending official confirmation from Suez Canal Authority. pic.twitter.com/PQCn3K2fE6
— Leth Agencies (@AgenciesLeth) March 29, 2021
The ship’s technical manager Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) did not immediately respond to a request by Reuters news agency for comment.
Egypt’s Leth Agencies tweeted the ship had been partially refloated, pending official confirmation from the Suez Canal Authority (SCA).
The SCA had earlier said in a statement that tugging operations to free the ship had resumed. The Suez Canal salvage teams intensified excavation and dredging on Sunday and were hoping a high tide would help them dislodge it.
Egypt sent extra tug boats to assist with efforts to refloat the ship on Sunday, with experts pinning hopes on a high tide to help dislodge the ship.
As of Monday morning, some 367 ships were waiting to travel through the canal, including dozens of container vessels, natural gas tankers as well and ships carrying livestock, according to Leth.
