Engineers on Monday were able to “partially refloat” the giant cargo ship blocking the crucial Suez Canal maritime route in Egypt, almost a week after the vessel got stuck in the waterway leading to disruptions in global shipping and trade, Reuters reported.
However, it was not immediately clear about when the vessel would be fully set free. The Suez Canal Authority, which operates the waterway, said the 400-metre long Ever Given made up of an all-Indian crew, had been straightened in the canal and further tugging operations would resume once the tide rises later on Monday.
“The position of the ship has been reorientated 80% in the right direction,” Suez Canal Authority chief Osama Rabie in a statement, according to Al Jazeera. “The stern…moved to 102 metres from the shore,” compared with its position four metres from the shore previously.
The breakthrough in the rescue attempt was achieved after diggers removed 27,000 cubic meters of sand, going deep into…