Suez Canal blocked as mega-ship runs aground

Strong winds and poor visibility have caused Evergreen’s mega-ship, the Ever Given, to run aground in the Suez Canal blocking one of the world’s most important waterways, which accounts for 10% of global trade.

According to the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), the vessel which is 400 m long and 59 m wide, lost its steering on Tuesday morning on March 23 when winds reached speeds of 40 knots, while there was a lack of visibility due to a dust storm.

The incident occurred six nautical miles from the southern entry of the canal as the container ship proceeded northbound through the waterway from the Red Sea.