After Suez Canal obstruction, another Evergreen cargo vessel runs aground in US

A giant container ship that got stuck in the largest estuary in the United States, Chesapeake Bay over the weekend, has been disrupting global trade. Several efforts are now being done to refloat the container by the Coast Guard and the Maryland Department of the Environment, CBS Baltimore reported. This incident took place a year after the ‘Ever Given’, container ship, obstructed the Suez Canal for a week.  

According to the US Coast Guard, Ever Forward, the 1,095-foot container ship, came aground in the Craighill Channel at 9 pm on Sunday (local time). Further, Maryland-National Capital Region Sector Commander Captain David O'Connell revealed that the vessel was traveling from the port of Baltimore to Norfolk. 

It is worth noting that the depth of the Craighill Channel is believed to be around 50 feet. However, according to O'Connell, the vessel was moving outside of the channel and became caught in water which was about only 25 feet deep. 

No reports of casualties, pollution, or ship damage: US Coast Guard

Furthermore, the US Coast Guard reported that there were no casualties, pollution, or ship damage. According to the Associated Press, The Ever Forward is currently not hindering traffic in a neighbouring navigational channel. Nearby ships, on the other hand, are slowing down and taking other measures. 

The boat is part of Evergreen Marine Corp's cargo ship fleet, which is located in Taiwan. Evergreen Marine also owns and operates the Ever Given, which became trapped in the Suez Canal in 2021, causing worldwide shipping concerns.  According to research, Ever Given's suffering created troubles for over 400 waiting boats, affecting global trade $6 billion to $10 billion every day. 

The Evergreen Marine Corp vessel needs at least 43 feet of water to manoeuvre

In addition to this, the method of performing interviews and gathering evidence, according to O'Connell, is still underway. He went on to say that investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the event. He also mentioned the difficulty of dragging the vessel to a secure area, CBS Baltimore reported. He explained, "Right now, we are working with the salvor.  We have asked them to submit a salvage plan to us so that is something that we will review with them." 

The Evergreen Marine Corp vessel needs at least 43 feet of water to manoeuvre, which got stranded in the shallow location of just 25 feet. According to The Guardian, it is currently unclear when it would be released. 

Meanwhile, with the aid of 13 tugboats and a rising tide, the Ever Given, which weighs 220,000 metric tonnes, was rescued by dredging 30,000 cubic metres of sand. The ship was stranded from March 23 to March 29.

(Image: AP)