Suez Canal news – live: More than 350 ships still backed up amid warning supply chains could be hit for months – The Independent

A ship is seen sailing through the Suez Canal near Ismailia after the Ever Given’s freeing.

This photo from the porthole of a commercial plane that emerged a few days ago shows stranded ships waiting in a queue in the Gulf of Suez to cross the canal at its southern entrance near the Red Sea port city of Suez.

Ever Given’s owners could be fined by Suez Canal authorities, an insurer has warned.

Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd may also have to pay out for the assistance it received in dislodging the vessel.

“We anticipate a detailed investigation will follow which will determine the cause,” Global legal firm Clyde and Co said in a statement.

“Evidently the cause will impact upon the legal liabilities of the ship and cargo interests.”

Shoei Kisen Kaisha is covered with some $3 billion in liability insurance through 13 Protection & Indemnity Clubs.

Those clubs are not-for-profit mutual insurers used by the vast majority of global shipping firms.

Ever Given’s 25 crew members remain on board the ship and are in “good health”, the vessel’s technical managers have said.

Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement said in a statement: “A crew of 25 Indian nationals remain aboard the vessel. They are safe, in good health, and have been working closely with all parties involved to re-float the vessel. Their hard work and tireless professionalism are greatly appreciated.”

Damage to the Ever Given from its grounding in the Suez Canal could be structural, a ship captain has warned.

John Konrad, founder and CEO of the shipping news website gcaptain.com, said investigators will be looking for signs of cracks in the vessel.

He said: “Structural integrity is No. 1. You know, there was a lot of strain on that ship as it was sagging in the waterway.”

He added: “They have to check everything for cracks and particularly that rudder and the propeller in the back that’s connected to the engine room.”

“And then they have to go through all the mechanical equipment, make sure they test the engines, all the safety valves, all the equipment, and then determine that it’s safe to sail either by itself or with a tug escort to the next port.”

The company that owns the Ever Given will take part in the probe into how the ship became wedged in the Suez Canal.

Japanese firm Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd said on Tuesday that it would cooperate with the probe but did not name any of the other parties involved.

The firm would also not comment on the possible causes of the grounding.

Initial reports also suggested a “blackout” struck the vessel, something denied by the ship’s technical manager.

Our economics editor Ben Chu unpicks “the intricate web of registration, ownership and operation responsibilities” within the shipping industry.