Successful Refloating of Suez Canal Grounded Ship... "Aligning Direction Toward Inside of Canal" (Update)

Extracting Sunmi embedded in the sandbar... Starting to align in the correct direction
Salvage operations still ongoing... Reopening date of the canal is undecided

[Image source=vesselfinder.com]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) of Egypt announced that it has succeeded in refloating the grounded vessel that had been blocking the Suez Canal, a major international logistics artery, for six days, and has also managed to turn the stern, which had previously been outside the canal embankment, back inside the canal. While salvage operations are still ongoing, expectations are rising that concerns over a prolonged blockade will be alleviated. Egyptian authorities have not yet set a schedule for reopening the canal.

According to the UK Guardian on the 29th (local time), the SCA stated that it succeeded in removing rocks lodged at the stern of the Ever Given, the vessel grounded in the Suez Canal, partially refloating the ship and turning the direction of the vessel that was blocking the canal. According to the vessel tracking site VesselFinder.com, the stern of the Ever Given, which had been stuck on a sandbar at the edge of the Suez Canal, has turned back inside the canal.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Osama Rabie, Chairman of the SCA, said in an interview with local Egyptian media, "Good signs are appearing," adding, "Fourteen tugboats are continuously moving the ship, and the ship began moving side to side for the first time late Saturday, and now the stern has turned significantly inside the embankment." Egyptian authorities plan to continue salvage operations 24 hours a day until the end of high tide and swiftly tow the Ever Given. However, they have not disclosed an exact schedule for reopening the canal, stating that salvage operations are still underway.

The global shipping industry judges that the risk of a prolonged blockade of the Suez Canal has significantly decreased and is expecting a prompt reopening. The Guardian, citing sources close to the rescue operation, reported, "There is an optimistic outlook that the grounded vessel could be moved out of the canal within 24 to 48 hours."

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