- Ever Dado, one of the largest cargo ships on the Suez Canal, has been in custody for almost a day.
- The ship caused a major congestion on one of the most important trade routes in the world.
- The photos and maps below show the state of the bottleneck.
- See more stories on the Insider business page.
One of the most important sea routes in the world, the Suez Canal, was blocked by a large container ship for a day.
Ever Dado, a cargo ship almost 200 feet wide and 1,300 feet long sailing under the flag of Panama, caused a transcontinental stalemate in Egyptian waters, which directly connect Europe to Asia.
The ship is en route to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from the Yantian district in China, according to the Vessel Finder.
The ship had traveled through Taipei and Malaysia and planned to arrive in the Netherlands on March 31 before being perpendicular and blocking hundreds of cargo ships on both sides.
Container ships sail the Suez Canal during the 150th anniversary of the Suez Canal.
Gehad Hamdy / Image Alliance via Getty Images
The Suez Canal was initially built in 1869, connecting the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and allows for the shortest possible commercial route between Europe and Asia. In 2015, the Egyptian government completed a $ 8 billion overhaul of the canal to attract more business and allow for smoother navigation.
An image shared by a crew member aboard a ship trapped behind Ever Given gave a glimpse of the colossal traffic jam taking place.
And in the Vessel Finder, the maps show Ever Given’s slow progress in shedding its current position.
An enlarged photo in the tweet below shows the tiny excavator used earlier to try to disengage Ever Given from the edge of the Suez Canal where it is stuck.
—John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) March 23, 2021