Egypt welcomes international aid in race to dismantle ships blocking the Suez Canal

SUEZ, Egypt (AP) – Tugboats and a special switch coach on Friday worked to unload a large cargo ship that has been stranded in Egypt’s Suez Canal for the past three days. departure, obstructing an emergency waterway for global shipping.

The Ever Given, a Panama-flagged ship carrying cargo between Asia and Europe, landed in the narrow canal that runs between Africa and the Sinai peninsula. It crashed into a one-way stretch of the waterway, about six kilometers (3.7 miles) north of the southern entrance, near the city of Suez.

The vessel, owned by the Japanese company Shoei Kisen KK, has blocked traffic in the canal, causing a headache for global trade.

Get The Daily of Israel’s Daily Edition by Email and don’t miss our top stories for free

About 10% of global trade flows through the waterway, which is especially important for transporting oil. The closure could also affect oil and gas shipments to Europe from the Middle East.

At least 237 boats were waiting for the Ever Given to be cleared, including ships near Port Said on the Mediterranean, Port Suez on the Red Sea and those on board. already stuck on the canal’s central lake, said Leth Agencies, which provides services for the canal.

Using data from automated Detection System detectors on ships at sea, the data company Refinitiv shared an analysis with the AP showing that more than 300 boats remained on board en route- rain over the next two weeks.

Some vessels may now be changing course so that you do not use the Suez Canal. The natural gas carrier Pan Americas changed course in the Mid-Atlantic, now aiming south to orbit south Africa, according to satellite data Friday from MarineTraffic.com.

Internationally, many are getting ready for the impact of a shipping stop on supply chains that rely on the delivery of precision goods. Singapore Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung said the country’s port should be expected.

“If that happens, some will need to draw on investments,” he said in a Facebook post.

The background of vessels could put pressure on European ports and an international supply of vessels, which are already under the burden of coronavirus pandemic, according to IHS Markit, an industry research group. They said 49 shipwrecks were scheduled to cross the canal in the seven days after Tuesday, when the Ever Given was introduced.

The delay could also lead to hefty insurance claims by companies, according to Marcus Baker, Global Head of Marine & Cargo at Marsh insurance broker, with a ship like the Ever Given typically covered at between $ 100 million- $ 200 million .

But on Friday morning, the vessel remained on the ground, Half Agencies added, as Egyptian authorities banned media access to the site. It is unclear when the reopening will take place.

“We certainly hope that the canal will be open, and that the accident will be handled properly as soon as possible,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying.

An Egyptian official at the Suez Canal Authority said those trying to evacuate the vessel wanted to avoid problems that could widen the canal’s closure. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to reporters. In a statement Friday, the authority said it welcomed offers of international assistance to help free the vessel, including one from the United States. He did not specify what type of support was offered.

Satellite and photos distributed by the canal authority show the Ever Given arch rubbing against the east wall, while its end appeared lodged against the west wall.

A team from Boskalis, a Dutch company specializing in salvage, began working with the canal authority on Thursday. Rescue efforts have focused on dredging to remove sand and mud from the port side of the ship’s bow.

The Suez Canal Authority, which operates the canal, used tugboats and a special switchgear capable of moving 2,000 cubic meters of material per hour.

The authority said late Thursday that it had to remove between 15,000 and 20,000 cubic meters (530,000 to 706,000 cubic feet) of sand to reach a depth of 12 to 16 meters (39 to 52 feet). That depth is likely to allow the vessel to sail freely again, he said.

It was not immediately clear what prompted the Ever Given to enter Tuesday. GAC, a global shipping and supply company, said the vessel had sunk without further preparations.

Evergreen Marine Corp., a leading Taiwan-based shipping company that operates the vessel, said in a statement that the Ever Given was overtaken by strong winds as it entered the canal from the Red Sea, but none of their ships had sunk.

The Suez Canal Authority blamed bad weather for what happened.

The Ever Given was involved in an accident in northern Germany in early 2019, when the rescuer ran into a small ferry tied to the river Elbe in the port city of Hamburg. There were no passengers on board the ferry at the time and no one was injured, but the accident severely damaged the boat.

Hamburg prosecutors opened an investigation into the captain and pilot of the suspect suspected of endangering shipping traffic, but sheltered him in March 2020 for lack of evidence, a spokesman for Liddy Oechtering told The Associated Press Friday.

Pilots from the board of the Suez Canal Authority of Egypt move vessels to steer them through the narrow canal, but the captain of the ship retains final authority over the vessel, according to shipping experts.

Oechtering could not say what the investigation was to determine the cause of the 2019 crash, but officials at the time suggested that strong winds may have blown the rescuer slowly into the ferry.