Jul 7, 2021 - Economy

Massive container ship sets sail 106 days after blocking Suez Canal

Erin Doherty

Panama-flagged MV 'Ever Given' container ship sailing along Egypt's Suez Canal near the canal's central city of Ismailia. — "Ever Given" container ship sailing along Egypt's Suez Canal near the canal's central city of Ismailia on July 7, 2021. Photo: Mahmoud Khaled/AFP via Getty Images

The "Ever Given" container ship began its journey to leave the Suez Canal on Wednesday, 106 days after becoming lodged in the southern section of the waterway for nearly a week, disrupting global trade, Reuters reports.

Driving the news: Loaded with about 18,300 containers, the massive vessel will be escorted by two tug boats and guided by two pilots as it maneuvers through the canal.

The Suez Canal Authority sought compensation from Ever Given's owner for the cost of the removal operation, damage to the canal's banks and other losses, per BBC.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Egypt had demanded $550 million, BBC reports.

Flashback: The Ever Given ship, one of the largest in the world, ran aground in the canal on March 22 after getting caught in poor visibility and high winds from a sandstorm.

The 220,000-ton and quarter-mile-long ship, heading from China to the Netherlands, was lodged in the canal for six days, wreaking havoc on global trade and causing one of the largest ship salvage operations in modern history.

Go deeper: The Suez Canal is clear, but shipping is still broken

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Massive container ship sets sail 106 days after blocking Suez Canal

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