Chennai: Almost a week after it ran aground in Suez Canal, blocking hundreds of ships, the giant cargo ship MV Ever Given started to move, videos that emerged on social media show.
The owner of the ship, however, said that the vessel has only ‘turned’ but is not yet afloat.
The official from Shoei Kisen said the Ever Given was ‘stuck at an angle of 30 degrees towards the canal but that has eased,’ adding that the ship has turned but it is not afloat.
‘A total of 11 tug boats have been pulling Ever Given since this morning,’ he added.
The spokesman said there has been damage sustained by the ship on its bow when it got stuck but no new damage has been reported.
For six days, the giant vessel had been wedged diagonally across the Suez Canal – one of the world’s most vital waterways – since 23 March leading to a long queue of more than 450 ships at the southern entrance to the trade route.