Suez Canal Blocked by Stranded Japanese-Owned Container Ship

Cairo/Taipei, March 25 (Jiji Press)--A large container ship owned by a Japanese company ran aground in the Suez Canal in Egypt on Tuesday, blocking traffic on the key marine transportation route between Asia and Europe.

The 400-meter-long and 59-meter-wide Ever Given is believed to have been stuck due to poor visibility caused by bad weather and a sandstorm, according to the Suez Canal Authority.

Since Wednesday, local authorities have been working to refloat the ship by using eight tugboats.

It is expected to take a while before the canal is fully reopened, raising concerns that international distribution of goods may be held up, sources familiar with the situation said.

The 220,000-ton ship, built in 2018, is owned by Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd. in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture, western Japan, and operated by Taiwan's Evergreen Marine Corp.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]