High tide helps as massive container ship freed from Suez Canal

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<strong>A massive container ship which had blocked the Suez Canal since March 23 has been freed and re-floated, maritime service provider Inchcape Shipping said on Monday.</strong></p>
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The Panama-flagged ship, Ever Given, had veered off its course in a single-lane stretch of the canal during a sandstorm, reports dpa news agency.<br />
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Dredgers and tug boats had been working around the clock to free the massive 400-metre-long-vessel.<br />
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The high tide on Sunday night helped to free the ship, the service provider indicated.<br />
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The blockage of the canal led to disrupted supply chains and sent ripples through global markets.<br />
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When the Suez Canal will be reopened to traffic was initially not clear.<br />
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According to the canal authority, around 370 ships were waiting for passage on both sides of the canal, including 25 oil tankers.<br />
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Financial news wire Bloomberg reported there could even be 450 waiting ships.<br />
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The Suez Canal, which connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, provides the shortest shipping route between Asia and Europe.<br />
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The blockage was costing the canal operator $13 million to $14 million in losses per day, according to the head of the state Suez Canal Authority (SCA).<br />
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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi had ordered preparations for the possibility of reducing the load of containers on the vessel to help free it.</p>
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<em>(IANS)</em></p>