Suez Canal traffic jam cleared, says Egypt

ANKARA (AA) - All ships stranded by the container vessel stuck in the Suez Canal last week have now passed through, Egyptian authorities said on Saturday.

“A total of 422 vessels were waiting in the Great Bitter Lakes region and the northern and southern entrances to the canal since the grounding of the Ever Given container ship,” said Osama Rabie, head of the Suez Canal Authority, according to Egypt’s state-run Al-Ahram newspaper.

He said a last batch of 61 vessels that were waiting to cross the waterway since the 400-meter-long Ever Given became wedged across it on March 23 crossed the busy trade route on Saturday.

The blockage in one of the world’s most critical waterways sparked a crisis in global supply chains, especially in Europe.

“The authority's success in crossing such a number of ships in a limited time is a new achievement that contributes to the authority's ability to manage emergency situations and deal with crises,” the official said.

*Nour Abdullah in Ankara contributed to this report