Pics: Egyptian Suez Canal Authority’s staff honored for efforts exerted in refloating Ever Given

CAIRO – 1 April 2021: Suez Canal Authority’s (SCA) employees and workers who participated in refloating the Panama-flagged container ship Ever Given were honored by SCA Chairperson Osama Rabie on Thursday in Ismailia, where the headquarters of the authority locates. 

 

In his speech, Admiral Rabie conveyed President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s greetings to the honored workers and employees for the efforts made by the Authority's staff over six days to refloat the ship that ran aground at the 151 km of the canal, where the ships move in both directions.

 

“This experience is a practical lesson to learn how to manage crises. It confirms how strong the canal’s capabilities are,” he said.

 

“The work is being carried out around the clock to complete the crossing of all ships in the maritime route safely, with the help of a distinguished team of instructors,” he said, noting that 194 stranded ships with a total of 12 million tons passed through the canal since Monday after the Ever Given refloated until Wednesday evening.

 

The number of the stranded ships that are scheduled to move through the canal in both directions on Thursday reached 87 ships with 5.6 million tons, he continued. 

 

Freed at 3:00 pm (Cairo time) on Monday by 800 personnel and 15 giant tugboats, Ever Given was pulled by two gigantic tugboats from its bow and entered the Great Bitte Lakes in Ismailia at 5:45 pm and the navigation resumed at 6:00 pm on Monday evening. Anonymous sources told Egypt Today four days ago that the ship has suffered damages at its bow and water entered in the bow’s holds due to its accident in rocky soil, but such damages did not affect its sailing when it has been pulled to the Lakes.