A massive container ship ran aground in the Suez Canal on Tuesday, causing a traffic jam for other tankers in the area and blocking them from traversing the vital trade waterway in northeastern Egypt, according to reports.
Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd., based in Japan's Ehime Prefecture, confirmed Wednesday that it was the owner of the Ever Given. The container ship was bound for Rotterdam in the Netherlands from China when it became stuck in the canal.
The vessel's operator, Taiwanese transport company Evergreen Marine Corp., said the cause of the grounding was due to a strong gust of wind that caused the hull to deviate, according to the BBC.
The artificial canal in Egypt, which connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, is one of the world's most important cargo waterways.