Official: Ever Given ship mostly freed in the Suez Canal

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Ever Given container ship has been successfully refloated after being stranded in the Suez Canal for almost a week, authorities say, following an around-the-clock international effort to dislodge the massive vessel and reopen the global shipping lane, CNN reports.

"The container ship began to float successfully after responding to the pulling maneuvers," said Osama Rabie, head of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), in a phone interview with state TV. "Once the ship is withdrawn, we will resume navigation directly, and we will take it to the Bitter Lakes."

The ship has been mostly dislodged and crews plan to fully refloat it later on Monday, March 29, the SCA confirmed.

Video footage from the rescue operation show the stern, the back of the ship, dislodged from the bank and facing the canal after significant movement. The authorities will now keep the freed stern away from the bank as they work on pulling the front, or the bow, out.

Crews from Egypt and around the world have been working nonstop to try to refloat the ship, with the operation involving 10 tug boats, sand dredges and salvage companies working for the past seven days to free the ship.