The Ever Given, the massive container ship has shifted slightly and been freed from the Suez Canal shoreline, according to officials. Its course has been corrected by 80% and further efforts to remove the boat will resume later today. The head of a company involved in the rescue efforts stated that the operation will not be easy, urging those involved to exercise caution. The Ever Given has been blocking one of the world’s busiest trade routes, forcing companies to reroute ships and causing a long buildup of hundreds of vessels.
Reports that the ship had been partially freed raised hopes that traffic along the canal could resume within the next several hours. This would essentially clear the way for an estimated $9.6 billion of goods being held up by the container ship each day. Rescue workers from the authority and Dutch company Smit Salvage used tug boats to slowly wrench the rear of the ship from the bank while others dig out sand and mud from under its bow.