Suez Canal: "human error" could be at the origin of the grounding
The container ship "Ever Given" stuck in the Suez Canal, March 26, 2021. - Satellite image © 2021 Maxar Technologies / AFP
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3 min
Work to refloat the giant container ship that has been blocking the Suez Canal since Tuesday continued overnight.
Encouraging signs have been recorded, according to the chairman of the Canal Authority.
In the meantime, more than 300 ships are bottled in front of the canal in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
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According to General Oussama Rabie, the boss of the Suez Canal, the helm of the container ship which is buried in the sand of the west bank began to respond on Saturday evening thanks to the dredging work undertaken for days.
The bulb of the bow, deeply embedded in the east bank, also began to move slightly.
An official of the Dutch rescue company SMIT Salvage dispatched to the scene by the owner of the Ever Given said that "
if all goes well
" the ship could be refloated at the beginning of the week.
As for the causes of the accident, General Rabie questioned the explanation given at the start: a gust of wind blowing at more than 70 kilometers per hour.
According to him, human error and technical failure are more likely causes.
Its crossing is a delicate maneuver which requires constant vigilance, in particular of the wind, which, when it is lateral to the boats crossing the canal, can considerably reduce the maneuvering capacities of these ships ...
Ludovic Poitou, captain of the French Navy
Franck Alexandre
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