A giant ship ran aground on the Suez Canal on Tuesday, blocking all boat traffic and creating a build-up of ships on one of the busiest trade routes in the world.
The Ever given, a 400-meter (1,312-foot) container ship, was trapped in the side channel, with the bow coined on one bench and the stern almost touching the other, according to the ship’s operators and images posted on the networks social.
The ship, operated by the Taiwan-based Evergreen Group, is one of the largest ocean-going vessels. It can move more than 20,000 containers and is taller than the Empire State Building if turned vertically.
“There are at least 100 ships waiting to transit between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean,” a London agent said. “Tugboats are trying to re-float it, but it won’t be easy.”
The Suez Canal Authority, which operates the canal, was not immediately available for comment. An Evergreen spokesman said the boat was likely hit by strong winds “causing the hull to derail from the canal and run aground.”