Low tide slows work to clear Suez ship blockage; traffic jam builds

Low tide slows work to clear Suez ship blockage; traffic jam builds

Workers are seen next to a container ship which was hit by strong wind and ran aground in Suez Canal, Egypt. Reuters



Low tide overnight has slowed efforts to dislodge a 400-metre long, 224,000-tonne container vessel that has choked traffic in both directions along the Suez Canal and created the world's largest shipping jam.

The Ever Given vessel ran aground diagonally across the single-lane stretch of the southern canal on Tuesday morning after losing the ability to steer amid high winds and a dust storm, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said in a statement.

A closer view of the 400-meter, 224,000-tonne Ever Given container ship is seen, blocking the Suez Canal. Reuters

It is now blocking transit in both directions through one of the world's busiest shipping channels for goods, oil, grain and other products linking Asia and Europe.

Marine services firm GAC issued a note to clients overnight saying