The Evergreen Marine Corporation-operated container ship "Ever Given"has been partially refloated after 20,000 tons of sand have been shifted since the incident happened almost a week ago. All eyes are on when the world's busiest waterway can be fully reopened as there are more than US$9 billion worth of goods waiting to be shipped.
The "Ever Given," which is transporting 18,300 containers, ran aground in the Suez Canal six days ago. Evergreen Marine Corporation, which operates the vessel, said in a statement dated March 28 that 20,000 tons of sand and mud have been removed, which succeeded in loosening the ship's bow within the bank of the Suez Canal. The next stage of dredging efforts commenced at 8 p.m. Taipei time on March 28.
BSM, the technical managers of the "Ever Given," said the bow suffered damage during the salvage operation, but water pumps have already discharged the water from holds. The condition of the hull is stable. Two specialist tugs, one registered in Italy and the other in the Netherlands, have arrived on scene to assist in the operation. It was hoped that a high tide could help to dislodge the ship, but that did not work out.
With regards to the cause of the accident, strong winds and sandstorms were not solely responsible. There may have been technical or human errors. The primary reason is not yet known, and the weather is just one of the complicated causes for the accident.
The Suez Canal is one of the busiest canals in the world. The Associated Press has reported that each day of the blockage disrupts more than US$9 billion worth of goods. There are about 200 to 300 cargo vessels lined up waiting for the canal to be passable again.
The impact of this situation may end, but we have to continue to look at inventories and reserves. Will supply continue to exceed demand, or will supply be unable to meet demand?
Suez Canal Authority Chairperson Osama Rabie said on March 28 that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had ordered preparations to be made for the unloading of the containers aboard the "Ever Given." A number of the containers only can be removed with special equipment, so the Egyptian government has asked Dutch company SMIT Salvage to assess which types of equipment will be required.
滿載18300個貨櫃的長賜輪，仍舊擱淺在蘇伊世運河上，時間進入第六天，長榮海運官網發布最新聲明，表示已經挖除兩萬多噸的泥沙，船艏卡住土堤的情況開始鬆動，並在台北時間28號晚間八點展開下一波的脫困。
雖然順利挖除了泥沙，但長賜輪技術管理公司BSM表示，船艏在救援行動中受損，但已經用強力抽水機把水從倉室中排出，船身狀態目前穩定，而兩艘懸掛義大利旗和荷蘭旗的救援拖船已經抵達馳援，但一度希望可以趁著漲潮脫困的目標確定落空。
蘇伊士運河管理局主席 拉比耶表示：「就事故原因而言，強風和沙塵暴，不是主要原因，船舶可能存在技術故障，或者機械故障，或者是其他人為因素。但是具體的原因，還沒有查明，天氣只是事故的複雜原因之一。」
堵住全球最繁忙的水道之一，什麼時候能夠脫困外界都在看，美聯社表示，每天都有超過價值九十億美元的貨物被迫中斷運輸，長賜輪前後至少有兩、三百艘貨輪等待通行。
中央大學講座教授 梁啟源表示：「這個因素造成的影響，可能就此…接著就還要繼續再看存貨存量，供需是不是繼續再有供過於求，或者是供不應求的情況？」
蘇伊士運河管理局主席拉比耶28號表示，埃及總統塞西已經下令準備卸除長賜輪的貨櫃，不過因為部分貨櫃需要特殊設備才能卸除，埃及當局已經請荷蘭海上救助公司評估需要哪些種類的船隻協助。