Shades of the Ever Given earlier this week: an entirely different ship, called the Maersk Emerald, found itself stuck in the Suez Canal in Egypt after a sudden engine failure saw it grind to a halt. Thankfully, the ship was quickly refloated and back on its way before it caused any serious issues.
The 1,158-foot ship came to a stop on a southward passage, Reuters reports. A few ships were diverted through a second lane that was created in 2015, and some tug boats were able to get the ship back in motion. It was taken to a separate area, where it awaited some mechanical checks to ensure it was safe to head out. There are currently no reported delays as a result of the Maersk Emerald.
Speaking of the Ever Given, there’s been quite a spat about who should take the blame for the whole fiasco. The ship’s owner posits that the Suez Canal Authority should never have allowed the Ever Given to make the crossing, as weather was too dangerous. There are recordings that posit the SCA pilots and the control center about the safety of sending ships through the canal, which is intended to show that, if there was doubt, perhaps a different choice should have been made. Lawyers also posit that the ship should have been accompanied by at least two tug boats, The Guardian reports.
Egypt, however, is looking for compensation, too, and it’s seeking it from the Ever Given’s owners. We’re talking payment to the tune of $550 million—which was lowered from the previous $916 million that was initially demanded by the country. That’s intended to compensate for the loss of traffic through the canal, as well as for the global shipping disruptions that followed the Ever Given's six-day jam.