The stuck ship caused what some are calling "the world's largest traffic jam."
The Suez Canal-ship saga has come to an end. After nearly a week of being wedged in the Suez Canal, the massive container ship, Ever Given, is finally free. The 1,312-foot-long ship was traveling from China to the Netherlands through the canal last Tuesday when it became stuck after a dust storm brought in low visibility and high winds.
Not only did the blockage disrupt trade on a global level, billions of dollars worth, it also became an internet star, of sorts, in the form of memes, because, duh:
What is happing in #SuezCanal today explained.#Egypt
— Zaina Erhaim (@ZainaErhaim) March 24, 2021
pic.twitter.com/T06bFDGQ7q
Tension rises over new attempt to re-float ship in #SuezCanal #EVERGIVEN #oott pic.twitter.com/EOHZS3qQmM
— ForexFlow (@forexflowlive) March 24, 2021
"Egyptians have succeeded today in ending the crisis of the stranded ship in the Suez Canal," said Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi in a statement.
Finally, the ship was moved by us, the Egyptians. All thanks to our friends for the support 🇪🇬☝️#SuezBLOCKED #Suez #Egypt #EVERGIVEN #SuezCanal #shipping #مصر #BreakingNews #قناه_السويس #كلنا_معك_يا_مصر #السعودية #الامارات #مصر_هتعدي_وقد_التحدي pic.twitter.com/m5SjR0flUC
— Mo Ashry (@mea201497) March 29, 2021
It took a team of salvage crews, tugboats, and excavating equipment to remove the large ship.
As of right now, it's not certain when ships can continue their journey through the Suez Canal. An investigation is currently on-going as to just how the ship got stuck in the first place. According to reports, one potential "focus of the investigation will probably be on the role of the two Egyptian canal pilots who were supposed to help the boat's captain navigate the canal, and whether any communication failures occurred."
*This story will be updated as needed.