Owner’s facing "extreme difficulty" refloating ship blocking Suez Canal

Gulf Today Report 

Shoei Kisen Kaisha, Japanese ship-leasing firm confirmed the ownership of the container vessel stuck in the Suez Canal and it is having “extreme difficulty” refloating it, according to its website.

The Panama-flagged ship is a 400-metre (1,300) long vessel. It swerved and got stuck in a sandstorm on Tuesday. 

 A satellite image of the cargo ship MV Ever Given. AP 

"We sincerely apologise for causing a great deal of worry to ships in the Suez Canal and those planning to go through the canal," the statement added.

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Egyptian tug boats are trying to free the container vessel but the blockage has affected one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes with a lot of ships waiting to move.

Toshiaki Fujiwara, an official at Shoei Kisen Kaisha, told AFP "we still don't know how long it will take" to refloat the ship.