ISMAILIA (Egypt) – Cairo will demand compensation from the owner of the Ever Given container vessel that blocked the Suez Canal, said Admiral Mohab Mamish, the Egyptian president’s aide on the development of seaports and the canal.
“We will demand compensation from the owner of the vessel for all the consequences of the grounding of the vessel, for the use of all tugs. We will demand the full cost,” he told the Sputnik news agency, as reported by Bernama.
The ship’s captain will be held responsible for the incident.
“What happened is the responsibility of the ship’s captain. Our canal is safe,” said Mamish.
The 224,000-tonne vessel has blocked the vital waterway since last Tuesday, after it lost the ability to steer amid massive winds and a sandstorm.
The incident resulted in the suspension of navigation in the canal, keeping at least 369 ships in wait.
It was reported yesterday that the Ever Given has been reorientated 80% in the right direction. – The Vibes, March 30, 2021