The Suez Canal has been blocked after one of the world’s largest container ships ran aground, severing a vital trade artery and delaying shipments of goods and commodities.
The Ever Given container ship, which is almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall, was shown on ship tracking satellite services on Tuesday morning to have wedged itself horizontally across the southern end of the canal, with tug boats engaged in a frantic effort to free it.
It was unclear what caused the Ever Given to run aground. But the blockage has caused a rapid build-up of ships behind the vessel. The container ship is operated by Evergreen Marine, which is based in Taiwan.