Suez Canal Paralysis Six days… Attempt to launch a ship using high tide

[아시아경제 김은별 기자] The Suez Canal connecting Asia and Europe was blocked for six days due to a super-sized container ship accident, and attempts to float the stranded ship on the water in the face of a high tide are expected to continue.

According to the AP news agency on the 28th (local time), two additional large tugboats will be put into operation at the site of the Suez Canal where the container ship’Ever Given’ was aground. Currently moving through the Red Sea to the Suez Canal, the tugboats are the Alp Guard from the Netherlands and the Carlo Magno from Italy. These ships carry out the work of floating the stranded ship on the water along with about 10 tugboats that have already been put into the field.

The Suez Canal Administration (SCA) announced at a press conference the day before that it plans to attempt to lift the hull twice on the day of high tide.

If there is no progress in the stimulus attempt on this day, some of the 20,000 containers on board the ship will have to be lowered to reduce the weight. For this purpose, a crane prepared by the rescue company hired by the shipowner will arrive at the site during the day.

However, as it takes more time to unload the ship’s luggage, and naturally the canal paralysis period is prolonged, the authorities are hoping that this will not happen. A tugboat captain who requested anonymity told the Associated Press that “Sunday is very important. This day’s work will determine the next step, and there is a high possibility that some of the luggage on the ship will be lifted.”

The Evergiven, departing from China and heading for Rotterdam, the Netherlands, was stranded in the middle of the Suez Canal on the morning of the 23rd. This accident has caused enormous damage as the passage of the Suez Canal, a key channel for global trade, is blocked.

Reporter Eun-Byeol Kim [email protected]