The maritime congestion created when a giant container ship blocked the Suez Canal has now been released, Egyptian officials said on Saturday.
Some 422 ships, which were visible from space, have already released the vital artery, with the last 61 ships passing through the waterway on Saturday, the Suez Canal Authority said.
The backlog accumulated after the huge Ever Given vessel ran aground on the narrow channel on March 23, generating global interest as reforestation efforts stalled and cost billions in retained world trade. The ship was finally released on Monday.
“All the waiting ships crossed the navigation course today,” Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie, president of the Suez Canal Authority, said in a statement.
He added that the elimination of the accumulation was achieved in “record time”.
Ever Given, 1,400 feet long, a container ship with a Panama flag higher than the Eiffel Tower, diagonally crossed the southern section of the Suez Canal, leaving many cargo ships and bulk carriers unable to use the main trade route.
International supply chains were in disarray when the boat ran aground, with specialized rescue teams taking nearly a week to free it after extensive dredging and repeated towing operations.
The abandoned ship made global headlines and generated memes on social media, while abruptly paralyzing traffic on the important east-west waterway for global shipping – a route that accounts for about 12 percent of world trade and is particularly important for the oil transportation.
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An investigation by the Suez Canal Authority began on Wednesday as to what caused the ship to run aground and block the waterway for six days, President Rabie told Egyptian private TV MBC Masr late on Friday.
“The investigation is going well and will take two more days, so we will announce the results,” he added.
Early reports suggested high winds and poor visibility from a sandstorm were to blame, not mechanical or engine failure, but the causes are now subject to a high-profile investigation.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Charlene gubash contributed.