'Traffic jam' at the Suez Canal

Ship finally freed in Suez - 12th April 2021

Experts are looking into how a huge container ship – the Ever Given – became jammed on the Suez Canal for nearly a week.

The Suez Canal joins the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. It's one of the world’s most heavily used waterways. Huge queues formed after the Ever Given blocked the Canal. Many ships were forced to travel via different routes.

The ship, which weighs 200,000 tonnes, crashed into the canal bank during high winds and a sandstorm in the last week of March. It was transporting goods worth millions of dollars in approximately 18,000 containers. Specialists were called in to free the ship, and 800 people assisted. They successfully released the ship after working day and night for six days.

The Suez Canal lies between the African and Asian continents. Roughly a tenth of world trade passes through it. This is because it is the shortest and safest passage from Asia to Europe. In contrast, the route around southern Africa is lengthier and more dangerous.

Experts say that the Suez incident cost the canal 10 billion dollars a day.

Before the Ever Given can continue on its journey to Felixstowe, England, specialists will examine the ship’s equipment to establish the cause of the blockage. The results are important for shipping companies, which are considering legal action.