Giant ship that blocked Suez Canal for 6 days arrives in Port Said returning from Europe

CAIRO – 19 August 2021: The giant container vessel that ran aground in Egypt’s Suez Canal and blocked trade for six days before it could be re-floated reached Port Said as it is returning from Europe to south eastern Europe.

Ever Given, a Japanese-owned 400-meter-long container ship, operating under Panama’s flag, was only allowed to leave Egyptian waters last month after signing a settling agreement with the Suez Canal Authority.

Being stranded in the international route for six days, Ever Given blocked the movement of hundreds of ships, causing the canal to lose millions of dollars.

The ship will pass through Ismailia, Suez and the Red Sea in its return journey.

After it was freed on March 29, the ship was escorted to the Bitter Lakes for technical inspection, crew interrogation, and black box analysis.

Afterward, an Egyptian economic court in Ismailia issued a decision to seize the ship at the canal until paying compensation for damages it caused due to the grounding, besides the costs of the salvage operation.

In May, the Suez Canal Authority reduced the amount of compensation claims for the damages caused by the grounding of the ship from $916 million to $600 million.

Late in June, the Suez Canal Authority said it reached a settlement with the owner of the massive ship. The SCA did not reveal the details of the agreement but said it was satisfactory.