Suez Canal Reopens After Giant Stranded Ship Is Freed

Traffic has resumed in the Suez Canal after a stranded container ship blocking it for nearly a week was finally freed by salvage crews.

The vessel was towed to Great Bitter Lake, which sits between two sections of the canal to the north of where the ship got stuck and will be undergoing safety checks.

Hundreds of ships were waiting to pass through the canal which links the Mediterranean to the Red Sea via Egypt and is one of the world’s busiest trade routes.

The blockage had put the authorities under immense pressure, given the major impact it had on global trade and for Egyptians, the canal is not only a source of national pride, but it also provides the economy with much needed foreign currency.

But the challenges are far from over because now the authorities will have to address the issue of congestion.

Head of the Suez Canal Authority Osama Rabie said hundreds of stranded vessels would be allowed through the canal on a first-come-first-served basis, though there might be some exceptions to specific ships.

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi thanked Egyptians for their efforts in ending the crisis in the canal.