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Crashed Container Causes Congestion, Clogs Cairo’s Crowded Canal  

Dozens of vessels are stuck in one of the world’s busiest water passageways after a container ship, struck by strong winds, ran aground in the Suez Canal between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday. According to the company operating the ship, the powerful gusts caused its hull to deviate from the narrow canal waterway and hit the bottom. The traffic jam is reminiscent of a similar 2018 incident, when the 150-year-old marine passage, through which over 50 ships pass daily, was temporarily blocked after a five-ship collision. With ten percent of all international maritime trade passing through the Egyptian route, the Suez Canal serves as Cairo’s main economic lifeline, generating over $5.6 billion in revenue in 2020. Egyptian authorities have yet to comment on Tuesday’s incident.