Cargo ship gets stuck in Suez Canal

At 7:40 am ( 05:40 GMT ) the ' Ever Given ', a 200,000-tonne , 400-meter-long ( 1,312-foot ) ship , ran aground in the southernly mouth of the Suez Canal , blocking other vessels on one of the most important maritime trade routes .

Dozens of ships await , causing a traffic jam

Despite efforts made to release the ship , the Suez Canal remained blocked , at least 100 vessels attempting to transit between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean piled up behind it .

Egypt suspends all traffic in Suez Cana

Egypt suspends all traffic through the Suez Canal as they continue to face “ extreme difficulty ” in trying to refloat the ship . Container carriers and vessels start taking the costly long voyage around Africa instead .

White House raises alarm as Maritime traffic jam grows

Realising the potential impacts on energy markets the US government offers Egypt assistance in removing the grounded ship . Bloomberg reports almost 300 vessels queued up .

14 April 2021