Sharjah 24 – BNA: Egypt on Thursday announced the full suspension of navigation in the Suez Canal, where efforts are under way to refloat a giant container ship that has blocked the waterway, one of the world's busiest trade routes.
The Panama-flagged ship, Ever Given, ran aground in the canal on Tuesday due to a sandstorm, reportedly leaving dozens of other cargo vessels blocked from passing the major shipping route.
The 400-metre-long tanker was on a Rotterdam-bound voyage coming from China, said dpa international.
On Thursday, the head of the state-run Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Admiral Osama Rabae, said that navigation traffic would be temporarily suspended during final ongoing efforts to dislodge Ever Given.
Thirteen ships Wednesday sailed south off the Suez Canal city of Port Said.
Operations to free Ever Given may take several days, the online edition of Egyptian state-run newspaper al-Ahram quoted an expert as saying.
The Suez Canal provides one of Egypt's main sources of income, alongside tourism and remittances from expatriates.
The waterway connects the Mediterranean and Red seas, providing the shortest shipping route between Asia and Europe.
At least 18,000 ships pass through the canal annually, according to Egyptian officials.
For an optimal experience, please
