They are making the canal larger.
Knot Again
It happened again: On Thursday, another huge shipping vessel temporarily blocked Suez Cana, temporarily preventing traffic on one of the most important waterways in global trade.
The Coral Crystal, a Panamanian ship, got stuck about 33 miles inside the canal. According to Al-Ain's original report, the Coral Crystal blocked one lane and forced authorities to divert the four other ships behind it. The temporary blockage was resolved thanks to the canals tugboats, according to Metro but not without serving as a brief reminder of how one glitch in the global shipping industry can cause a financially-devastating chain reaction.
History Rhymes
It was a relief that not as many ships got stuck in the canal as the Ever Given, which blocked it for almost a week in March. The Coral Crystal looked like a breeze compared to the May incident when the Maersk Emerald, a ship that was not named Coral Crystal, got stuck in the canal. Thankfully it didn't block any other ships from passing through.
The Coral Crystal, at 738 feet, is about half the length of the Ever Given. This makes it easier for authorities to refloat the Coral Crystal and continue its journey. Metro reports that this is even with the 43,000-ton cargo.
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Despite the string of unintentional and ship failures this year, canal officials seem fed up. Metro reports that they are currently working on a massive project to widen the canal to allow larger ships to pass through without getting stuck or breaking down.
READ MORE: A container ship, Deja vu, runs aground in Suez Canal. However, it is quickly refloated [Metro]
Continue reading about the Suez Canal: See the Amazing Moment when the Giant Ship finally Unstucks
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