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Why do ships like the Ever Given crash?

It cost the world $9.6bn in trade per day and made the front page of most media outlets, but how exactly did the Ever Given crash in the Suez Canal? James Rampton reports

Tuesday 18 January 2022 12:31 GMT
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<p>Salvage specialists make use of the high spring tide to excavate the Ever Given’s stern from the bank of the Suez Canal</p>

Salvage specialists make use of the high spring tide to excavate the Ever Given’s stern from the bank of the Suez Canal

Julianne Cona, a second assistant engineer, was working on the Maersk Denver container ship which was sailing directly behind the Ever Given on 23 March 2021.

On that fateful day, the Ever Given, buffeted by gale force winds and travelling too fast down the Suez Canal, careered out of control and crashed into the bank. In the process, it became jammed between the two sides of the canal. In an instant, Suez was shut.

Cona says that, “apparently, the captain of the Ever Given yelled, ‘s***!’ just before he hit the bank. If I was in his position, a lot worse probably would have come out of my mouth!”

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