China News Service, March 31, reported that the comparison photos released by NASA a few days ago showed that when a heavy freighter ran aground and blocked the Suez Canal, there were densely packed ships in the nearby waters, which was very different from usual.

Hundreds of ships have passed through the canal after the huge ship escaped.

　　According to reports, satellite photos released by NASA show that a large number of ships could not pass through the Suez Canal and had to wait in the open sea while the freighter ran aground.

The following set of photos were taken by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer (VIIRS) onboard the Suomi NPP satellite.

　　The photos taken before the freighter ran aground showed that there were far fewer ships in the same sea area, but the photos on the 27th and 29th showed that the Suez Canal was densely packed with long queues and contrasts.

Image source: Screenshot of NASA's website.

　　According to reports, the chairman of the Suez Canal Authority Rabie said that after the huge ship that blocked the waterway got out of trouble and the canal shipping resumed, a total of 113 ships passed through the canal on the 29th, and another 140 ships are expected to pass on the 30th.

　　On March 23, a 400-meter-long heavy freighter flying the Panamanian flag ran aground on the new channel of the Suez Canal, causing congestion in the channel. A total of 422 ships were waiting to pass on both ends of the canal and on the river.

On the 29th, the cargo ship successfully escaped shallow and the channel resumed traffic.

　　Rabbière reiterated that he hopes that all the vessels that have been delayed by the ship jam can pass through within 3 to 4 days.

　　On the other hand, on the 30th local time, the freighter had moved to the Great Bitter Lake north of the stranded position, and several experts had already boarded the ship.

A senior Suez Canal pilot told the Associated Press anonymously that experts are looking for signs of damage and are trying to confirm why the freighter ran aground.

　　Conrad, founder and CEO of the maritime news website gCaptain.com, warned that the freighter could be severely damaged.

This container ship was stuck on the canal for many days. The middle section of the ship was bent up and down with the weight of about 20,000 containers as the tide fluctuated.

　　Conrad said: "Structural integrity is the top priority. When the ship sinks in the channel, the hull is under tremendous pressure." "They must check every part for cracks."