Egypt's President Orders Unloading of Ship Blocked in Suez Canal

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has ordered the start of unloading the Ever Given container ship, which has been blocking the Suez Canal and obstructing traffic since March 23.

According to the Al-Arabiya television channel, citing the canal authorities, the situation regarding the stranded ship has improved compared to previous days, with the vessel having been moved 4 meters.

“We have divided shifts: 12 hours are dedicated to dredging work, and 12 hours to towing because the towing systems cannot always operate due to the tide,” said the head of the canal management, adding that currently, 14 tugboats are involved in the operations.

Recall that the 400-meter-long Ever Given ship, owned by the Japanese company Shohei Kisen and sailing under the Panama flag, was blown off course on Tuesday due to strong winds and a sandstorm, colliding with the opposite bank and blocking one side of the Suez Canal. Attempts to free it using tugs have been unsuccessful. Special equipment has been utilized to remove over 17,000 tons of sand from under the ship's bow.