Egyptian authorities say ‘human error’ may be to blame for the Suez Canal Ever Given crash after initially attributing it to strong wind

Egyptian authorities say ‘human error’ may be to blame for the Suez Canal Ever Given crash after initially attributing it to strong wind

Egyptian authorities suggest the Ever Given ship running aground on Tuesday morning could be due to "human error," according to MailOnline.

It is a revision of initial claims that blamed environmental factors for the epic Suez Canal jam. Officials initially said that the 1,300-foot-long cargo ship became stuck due to troublesome weather conditions.

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Lieutenant-General Osama Rabie, chair of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), said on Tuesday that it probably happened due to "strong winds and a dust storm that obstructed the view," according to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm. 

But Rabie has since gone back on this assessment. "Strong winds and weather factors were not the main reason," the SCA chief said on Saturday.

The incident that prompted a global trade blockage may have been caused by "technical or human errors," he said, the MailOnline reported.

Moments before it ran aground, the Ever Given was apparently traveling faster than a speed limit set by the Suez Canal Authority, Bloomberg reported.

The Ever Given's last recorded speed was 13.5 knots, logged 12 minutes before it grounded, according to Bloomberg, which cited its own data. The maximum allowed speed through the canal was between