The huge container ship MV Ever Given has reportedly been refloated from the Suez canal banks, raising hopes that the vital waterway will soon reopen and that global shipping backlogs will be cleared, “QİA.az” says, citing Bloomberg.
After almost a week of failed attempts to free the vessel, multiple reports on Monday morning said that it had been dislodged from its position lodged on the bank of the canal.
The 400-meter (1,300ft) long Ever Given was successfully refloated at 4.30 am local time (0230 GMT) and was being secured, Inchcape, a global provider of marine services, said on Twitter.
Video posted on social media appeared to show the ship’s stern had swung around, opening space in the canal. Other footage, which could not be verified, included cheering and ships’ horns sounding in celebration.
Earlier, the Wall Street Journal quoted Osama Rabie, chairman of the Suez Canal Authority that operates the waterway, saying the ship had been partially freed and it was “good news.” He noted that tugboats would keep working for another hour to ensure the vessel could begin moving again up the canal.
Ship tracking websites showed that the Panama-registered ship had moved from its position lodged between the banks, with the bow pointing northwards away from the east bank.