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As it happenedended1617112626

Investigation begins into how Ever Given was stranded, as 140 ships clear waterway

Huge vessel was freed from canal bank on Monday

Matt Mathers,Samuel Osborne
Tuesday 30 March 2021 14:57 BST
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How did a ship get stuck in the Suez Canal?

An investigation into how the Ever Given ship became stuck in the Suez Canal started on Tuesday hours after traffic on one of the world's busiest and most important trade routes resumed overnight.

Experts boarded the giant vessel to assess it for damage and to begin a probe into how it got wedged into in the canal's bank for almost a week, disrupting billions of dollars worth of trade.

Some thirty-seven vessels that were stranded in the waterway while authorities dealt with the Ever Given managed to pass through overnight on Monday and around 70 more were expected to clear the strait by the end of Tuesday.

Authorities said they hoped to clear a backlog of more than 300 ships waiting to enter the canal in a matter of days, but shipping experts warned the impact the disruption has had on global supply chains could take months to resolve.

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Delayed ships could be offered discounts, canal chief suggests

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is considering giving discounts to ships delayed due to the Ever Given’s grounding.

SCA chairman Osama Rabie suggested discounts would depend on cargo size and length of stoppage.

He told a press conference late on Monday: “We need to study it in the right way because the number of ships is large, including ships that waited for one day, ships that waited for two days, and ships that waited for three days or four days -- not all of them will take the same percentages.” 

Matt Mathers30 March 2021 14:35

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