Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority: The (Evergiven) delinquent ship began to float in the Canal after changing its course by 80%

Cairo (ST):  Giant locomotives have succeeded at dawn today in partially floating the container ship “Evergiven” stranded in the Suez Canal since last Tuesday, which allowed it to move. The head of the Suez Canal Authority, Lieutenant General Osama Rabi’, announced to Egyptian media that the ship had begun to float successfully after it responded to the tugging and towing maneuvers, as its course was significantly modified by 80 percent.

Rabi’ went in to say that after floating the ship, efforts will continue to be exerted around the clock in the Suez Canal to organize the ship traffic, expecting that the 356 waiting ships will take three days and a half to transit the canal.

 He clarified that during the operation of tugging and towing the vessel “we were keen on maintaining the safety of the delinquent ship so that water does not leak into it and fuel doesn’t leak from it, and we succeeded in that.” He pointed out that after the ship is fully dislodged it will be directed to the Great Lake zone for technical examination.

Rabi’ said that the ship crisis has almost ended before applying the third scenario represented in unloading the ship, stressing that navigation will resume normally in the Canal once the ship is fully dislodged. 

Earlier, Rabi’ announced the start of tugging maneuvers to dislodge the delinquent Panamanian container ship “Evergiven” since last Tuesday, by 10 giant locomotives operating from four different directions.  According to the ship tracking sites, the back of the ship, which has a tonnage of more than 200 thousand tons, moved away from the west bank of the Canal.

In turn, sources in the Suez Canal revealed that the delinquent ship responded to the floatation maneuver that took place last night and moved from its old position indicating that it is possible that the delinquent ship will float in the Suez Canal in the coming hours.

The 400-meter-long Evergiven vessel with a carrying capacity of 224,000 tons was suspended on March 23 in the Suez Canal and blocked the waterway connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea.

K.Q./ Hamda Mustafa