On 23 March 2021, the container ship "Ever Given" came to a standstill in the Suez Canal. Maritime traffic was consequently blocked on one of the busiest trade routes in the world.
According to Evergreen Marine Corporation, the container ship ran aground accidentally, probably after being hit by a sand wind, a common phenomenon in Egypt at this time of year.
Rescue boats have been trying for two days to unblock the ship to free the passage for dozens of boats that can no longer cross the channel.
The 400-metre long, 59-metre-wide cargo ship that weighs 220 000 tonnes, was carrying 22 000 containers. It was heading to Rotterdam (Netherlands) from Yantian (China).
Analysts expect the incident to disrupt the supply chain and incur trade losses of over 40 billion USD.
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