Ship tracking data from Refinitiv Eikon showed that the tugs around the ship bound for Rotterdam, which appeared on the tracking maps, were still stranded.
The 200,000-ton vessel en route from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean ran aground at about 7:40 am (5:40 am GMT) on Tuesday, after the ship suffered a blackout, GAC port officials said on its website.
The GAC said 15 other ships on the convoy north behind the ship were detained at anchor pending the release of the channel. A train to the south has also been blocked, he said.
The container vessel, Ever Given, is 400 meters long (1,312 feet), 59 meters wide (193 feet) and can carry up to 20,000 equivalent 20-foot (TEU) containers.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) could not be reached immediately for comment.
Nearly 19,000 vessels, or an average of 51.5 vessels per day, with a net tonnage of 1.17 billion tonnes passed through the channel in 2020, according to SCA.
About 12% of the volume of world trade passes through the artificial channel, which is an important source of foreign exchange for Egypt.
Tankers began to accumulate near the Suez Canal pending the movement of the container carrier.
“This can have a very big impact on freight. If it lasts longer, it can lead to delays in shipping in both directions,” said a Singapore ship broker.
The impact on oil and gas flows will depend on how long it takes to clean the container ship, industry sources said.
“If it goes on for, say, weeks, it is clear that all shipments will be stopped significantly,” said Ashok Sharma, managing director of the Singapore-based BRS Baxi brokerage.
“But I think there should be enough resources available and close to deal with the situation quickly, in days instead of weeks,” said Sharma.
Two LNG tankers are trapped in the canal, unable to cross it and, on Thursday, could increase to six a second Singapore-based ship broker.