Ship blocks Suez Canal after running aground in sandstorm

Description

Context: The Suez Canal, a critical shipping artery that connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas through Egypt, has been blocked after a large cargo ship ran aground while passing through it on Tuesday, bringing traffic on the busy trade route to a halt.

Details:

Tug boats worked Wednesday to free a giant container ship stuck in the Suez Canal after it veered off course in a sandstorm, creating huge tailbacks on one of the world’s busiest trade routes.
Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority (SCA) was working to refloat the Taiwan-run but Panama-flagged MV Ever Given, a 400-metre-long and 59-metre wide vessel, which was lodged at an angle across the waterway.
Egypt, which heavily depends on revenues from the canal, is now diverting ships to an older channel to minimise disruption to global trade.

About Suez Canal:

A human-made waterway, the Suez Canal is one of the world’s most heavily used shipping lanes, carrying over 12% of world trade by volume.
Built in 1869, it provides a major shortcut for ships moving between Europe and Asia, who before its construction had to sail around Africa to complete the same journey.