- The big boat stuck in the Suez Canal is still stuck.
- It's been three days.
- Satellite images show the inspiring, but futile, efforts of the tiny tugboats trying to dislodge it.
A comically large container ship has been blocking the Suez Canal and disrupting global supply chains for more than 72 hours now, with no sign of budging anytime soon.
The Ever Given, owned by the Evergreen Marine Corporation, ran aground Tuesday due to high winds from a sandstorm. The vessel is one of the world's largest container ships, and is twice the length of the iconic Ponte apartment building in Johannesburg.
These satellite photos, from Maxar Technologies, offer a striking glimpse at the colossal vessel from above. Several tugboats can be seen alongside the Ever Given, along with a dredger using suction to help dig the ship out.
Salvagers have tried a number of remedies - notably, pulling it with tugboats and dredging the sand and mud from underneath it. But nothing has worked yet, and experts estimated it could take days or weeks to dislodge the ship.
In the meantime, international maritime commerce has devolved into chaos. The Suez Canal is one of the world's most vital trade arteries, connecting Europe to Asia via Egypt.
The debacle is costing the global economy an estimated $400 million (R6 billion_ per hour, more than 100 other ships are stranded, and others are traveling around the entire continent of Africa as a detour.
The internet, however, is having a blast. The daunting task of excavating a ridiculously large ship with nothing but a tugboat and some tiny construction equipment has proven highly relatable to many.
