Ever Given, a 224,000-ton vessel, crashed on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal on Tuesday, March 23. The container ship was caught in 46 mph winds and sandstorms, resulting in poor navigation due to poor visibility, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) reported. Ever Given came to a full stop when its bow got stuck aground in Asia and the rest of its stern in Africa. Authorities made attempts to dislodge the ship on Thursday, March 25, but none were successful. However, 14 tugboats have pushed Ever Given to a high tide to dislodge it. Dredgers also removed thousands of tons of sand and mud around the port side of the bow, late on Thursday evening. According to Peter Berdowski, CEO of a Dutch construction company, the removal of the ship may take “days to weeks, depending on what you come across.”

Approximately 12% of global trade passes through the Suez Canal, making it an important route for such. The 120-mile canal is the shortest known link between Asia and Europe, and about 50 ships arrive at the port to carry out their day-to-day trade. Due to the incident, ships will have to find alternative routes, but the travel will take about two weeks longer. Delay in delivery of goods, fuel, and other essentials are to be expected. An increase in fuel prices also has a high probability.