New Satellite Images of Ever Given Blocking Suez Canal

New satellite images show the #EverGiven stuck sideways in the Suez Canal on Saturday.

Authorities are preparing to make two new attempts to free the vessel when the high tide goes down, with the help of tugboats.

The Ever Given’s charterer said it could take at least a couple of days of dredging around the stuck container ship before enough sand and mud is cleared to attempt a refloat on a high tide.

There are 10 tugs on site in the Suez Canal, a special dredger has been deployed, while two additional tugs are due to arrive by Sunday. Meanwhile, the rescue team said it would start lifting boxes off the vessel this weekend to lighten the load.

'The U.S. has offered to help Egypt is standing by ready to assist if required, Pentagon spokesperson Commander Jessica L. McNulty said. She declined to give details on specific support after CNN reported that the U.S. Navy is sending a team of dredging experts to the canal.

The pile-up of ships is creating another setback for global supply chains already strained by the e-commerce boom linked to the pandemic. About 12% of global trade transits the canal that’s so strategic world powers have fought over it.

Queues Of Ships Grow (4:13 p.m. London)

The number of ships waiting to enter the Suez Canal is lengthening as the waterway remains blocked. Data compiled by Bloomberg shows there are 429 vessels queued up Saturday, compared with around 100 at the start of the blockage.

Bulk carriers typically hauling commodities such as grains, coal and iron ore account for the biggest share of the vessels stuck in and around the canal. The data also indicate as many as 14 vessels that could be carrying thousands of livestock.

Canal Chief Sounds Optimistic Note (2:05 p.m. London)

The latest efforts to free the vessel have begun to pay off, and new attempts to refloat it could begin Saturday or Sunday, Suez Canal Authority chief Osama Rabie told reporters.

Declining to lay out a timeline for when the operation could be completed, Rabie said 10 tug boats are on site. There are currently more than 320 ships waiting to move, and authorities are working to provide them with all necessary services.

The canal is taking a revenue hit of as much as $14 million a day from the blockage, Rabie said.

Excavation Could Take Days (1:50 p.m. London)

Excavation will take at least two to three days of digging to reach the required depth for the stranded ship to refloat, charterer Evergreen Line said in a statement dated March 26.

Maersk Diverts 14 Container Ships South of Africa (12:52 p.m. London)

Logistics company AP Moller-Maersk A/S has diverted 14 vessel around the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, to avoid the Suez canal. The number of rerouted ships is up from 12 yesterday and the company said it expects the number to increase.

“For every day the canal remains blocked, the ripple effects on global capacity and equipment continues to increase,” Maersk said in a statement.

Dredging Set to Resume (12:40 p.m. London)

Tugs are connecting up to resume reflotation operations, according to Inchcape Shipping Service. Dredgers are currently working and there are some divers around the Ever Given vessel.

Egyptian Prime Minister Comments (12:09 p.m. London)

In the first public comment from an Egyptian government official on the incident, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the country was racing against time to restore movement to the facility vital to the entire world and was keen to complete the work as soon as possible.

Livestock Vessels Stranded (9:24 a.m. London)

Several vessels laden with livestock and containers en route to Jordan are stranded near the Suez Canal, Captain George Dahdal, Representative of Jordan Navigation Syndicate, said by phone. Seven vessels loaded with 92,000 livestock that were supposed to arrive to Aqaba on March 21 are stranded. Other vessels loaded with containers including food and other commodities are still stuck due to the traffic jam, Dahdal said.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.

To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app.

Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake

Connect with us on…

Breaking News on YouTube