One of the largest freighters in the world runs aground and blocks the Suez Canal, a fundamental artery of commerce

The grounding of the Ever Given freighter on Tuesday caused the blockade of the Suez Canal, one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.

Measuring 400 meters long and 60 meters wide, it was stranded around 7:40 in the morning (05:40 GMT), according to local media, due to a technical failure.

The canal authorities had to deploy numerous tugboats to try to clear the route, as well as excavators to remove dirt and clear the way, and this Wednesday they continue to work on it.

Egypt reported that it has opened an ancient section of the canal to divert traffic, for fear that the blockade will continue for days. For now, it has already made it impossible for dozens of boats to navigate, which have formed a long queue on both sides of the obstruction point.

The position of the Ever Given at the southern end of the Suez Canal. (BBC).

Inaugurated 150 years ago, the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, substantially navigating between Asia and Europe.

In fact, it is one of the most important trade routes in the world. 10% of global trade passes through there. Last year 19,000 ships crossed it.

The volume of trade through the Suez Canal.

This is what the stranded ship looks like in a satellite image.

The Ever Given, built in 2018, registered in Panama and operated by the Evergreen Marine transport company, was traveling from China to the port of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, and was passing north, towards the Mediterranean.

The operation to move the huge vessel, which may require dredging of the surrounding areas, can take days, according to canal authorities cited by the Cairo24 news portal.

Bad weather caused the Ever Given case to drift and lose control, according to the company that operates it, Evergreen Marine Corporation. (EPA).

On the causes of the grounding, Evergreen Marine said they believe that “a strong gust of wind caused the hull to drift and accidentally bottom out.”

And the company that manages the cargo, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), confirmed this Wednesday that “the entire crew is safe” and unharmed.

Sal Mercogliano, a maritime historian based in North Carolina, United States, told the BBC that incidents like these are rare, but that they can have “huge ramifications for global trade.”

“This is the largest vessel ever to be stranded in the Suez Canal,” he explained. “If they can’t get it out at high tide, they’ll have to start taking the load off it.”

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Analysis by Theo Leggett, BBC Business Correspondent

The Suez Canal is an artery of international trade that connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea and enables vessels to transit between Asia and the Middle East and Europe.

The main alternative route involves circling the Cape of Good Hope, in the southern tip of Africa, and is considerably longer.

About 50 vessels sail the canal on average per day, although there are days when the figure is much higher, representing 12% of world river trade.

The Suez Canal in Egypt links the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. (SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY).

It is particularly important for the transportation of petroleum and liquid natural gas, as it enables ships to bring these products from the Middle East to Europe.

So, that this road is blocked, just what just happened with the Ever Given, it is a nightmare scenario.

The question now is how long it will be impassable, as a prolonged lockdown would create serious problems for shippers and delay shipments of goods and fuel.

For the moment, reports suggest that it could be enabled relatively quickly, in which case the impact would be limited, although it has already caused a rise in the price of oil.

But the incident has highlighted the problems that can arise when ultra-long vessels like the Ever Given travel through relatively narrow sections of the canal.

Although some parts were expanded as part of a major modernization program in the middle of the last decade, it is still difficult to navigate and accidents can happen.

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Some 19,000 vessels sailed through the canal in 2020, according to the Suez Canal Authority, an average of 51.5 a day.

In 2017, a Japanese cargo ship was stranded in this waterway after suffering mechanical problems, as reported. But it was refloated in a matter of hours.

The Suez Canal crosses the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt, a strip of land between the Mediterranean and the Red Seas. It is 193 kilometers long and incorporates three natural lakes.

In 2015 the Egyptian government carried out an expansion project, with which the canal gained in depth.