Ship stuck in Suez Canal partially freed

Engineers have partially refloated the Ever Given from the banks of the Suez Canal with the help of 10 tugboats and a high tide, increasing hopes the waterway could soon reopen. The cargo ship became stuck in a single-lane section of the Suez Canal in Egypt on Tuesday, reportedly due to bad weather. More than 200 vessels hauling an estimated $9.6 billion worth of cargo are waiting to cross the major waterway, according to the shipping journal Lloyd’s List. Some companies are already warning of inventory delays and rerouting vessels around the tip of Africa.

Why is it taking so long to free the ship? The Ever Given is sideways and grounded, with a full load of cargo weighing it down. Experts warn structural problems become more likely the longer the ship stays in that position. Unloading the cargo would take weeks, so teams are trying to refloat it by dredging, or removing dirt from the canal floor. It is unclear when the canal will reopen for traffic.

Dig Deeper: Read Rob Holmes’ report on American ports competing for more of the world’s cargo traffic.

Editor’s note: WORLD has updated this report since its initial posting.