Ever Given’s Sister Vessel Runs Aground In US, Almost After A Year Of Suez Canal Incident

A 1,095-foot container vessel operated by Evergreen Marine Corp, the company whose vessel had reportedly blocked the Suez Canal in 2021 for almost a week, holding up several billions of dollars in worldwide trade, has remained stuck in the Chesapeake Bay from Sunday night.

The Ever Forward had set sail from Baltimore to Norfolk, Va. when it ran aground in near the Craighill Channel. The information was reiterated by Breanna Centeno, Petty Officer for the US Coast Guard.

The alert from Ever Forward was received at around 9 p.m. on Sunday, Petty Officer Centeno informed. The ship was supposed to reach Virginia on Thursday, per schedule. The Coast Guard could not determine how it became stuck.

Naval architects, divers, and a salvage team were striving to free the vessel per William P. Doyle, Maryland Port Administration’s executive director. The salvage efforts are being spearheaded by the Coast Guard.

There were zero injuries or resulting spills from pollution, Mr Doyle said. Petty Officer Centeno added that the vessel was not loaded with any hazardous materials.

The ship got stuck almost a year after one of the largest container vessels in the world dubbed Ever Given, ran aground in the Suez Canal. It ended up blocking a crucial trade channel that handles almost 10 per cent of the world’s maritime traffic.

The episode had been a disaster for the shipping industry, freezing almost $10 billion in trade every day. The recent mishap involving the Ever Forward appeared to be significantly less catastrophic, per authorities in Maryland.

The Ever Forward’s grounding has not limited other vessels from moving out of or into the Port of Baltimore. Business- as well as commerce-related activities continue as usual.

The Evergreen vessel needs more than 43 feet of water to manoeuvre. It got stranded in the location of 25 feet. Per The Guardian, it is not clear yet when it could be released.

Reference: republicworld.com