Suez Canal ship’s owner apologizes as blockage enters third day

The owner of the titanic ship blocking the Suez Canal apologized Thursday for bringing one of the world’s most vital waterways to a standstill as the traffic jam stretched into its third day.

The apology from Japanese ship-leasing firm Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd. came as a team of powerful tugboats worked to free the Ever Given, the 440 million-pound vessel that ran aground Tuesday after high winds turned it sideways.

At least 150 other ships are reportedly waiting for the blockage to clear before they can pass through the Egyptian canal, a crucial route between Europe and Asia that carries about 12 percent of the world’s trade.

“We are determined to keep on working hard to resolve this situation as soon as possible,” Shoei Kisen Kaisha said in a statement Thursday. “We would like to apologize to all parties affected by this incident, including the ships traveling and planning to travel through Suez Canal.”

The Suez Canal Authority temporarily suspended navigation through the canal Thursday as crews continued work to free the Ever Given after an overnight pause.

Workers managed to partially refloat the skyscraper-size cargo ship on Wednesday, which reportedly spurred hopes that some traffic could resume by Thursday.

But experts told Bloomberg News that the blockage could continue until Monday given that tugboats and diggers have failed to move the Panamanian vessel. Thirteen ships that started moving along the canal Wednesday had to drop anchor until the big boat is freed, officials said.

A team of eight large tugboats is working to tow and push the Ever Given, the largest of which has a towing power of 160 tons, according to the Suez Canal Authority. SMIT Salvage — an elite Dutch maritime firm specializing in aiding ships in distress — is helping with the effort alongside Japan’s Nippon Salvage, Bloomberg reported.