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Suez Canal reopens after stranded ship is freed

Suez Canal - Level 4

The Suez Canal is open again after the ship that blocked it is free. The 220,000-ton Ever Given container ship got stuck last week. The blockage disrupted global trade and international markets. It cost Egypt $100 million in lost revenue. There is now a backlog of 450 ships waiting to go through the canal. They are anchored in the Red Sea and Mediterranean near the ends of the canal. Authorities will try and double the daily average of ships to go through the channel.

There have been big efforts to free the 400-metre-long ship. Dredgers cleared sand underneath it to refloat it. Around 30 tug boats worked to pull it away from the canal's banks. A high tide helped the salvage operation. Egypt's president said it was a "massive technical complexity". He added: "The world can now rest assured about the passage of goods through this pivotal shipping route. Egyptians proved that they are always up to the challenge."

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Suez Canal - Level 5

The Suez Canal is open again after the giant ship that had blocked it for a week is free. The 220,000-ton Ever Given container ship got wedged between the sides of the canal last week. A blockage followed that disrupted global trade and international markets. Analysts say it has cost Egypt $100 million in lost revenue. The jam means there is a backlog of 450 ships waiting to go through the canal. They are anchored in the Red Sea and Mediterranean near the ends of the canal. Authorities will try and double the daily average of 50 ships to pass through the channel.

There has been a huge effort over the past week to free the 400-metre-long ship. Dredgers cleared sand underneath it in an attempt to refloat it. Around 30 tug boats worked to pull it away from the canal's banks. They were helped by a high tide during the salvage operation. Egypt's president thanked everyone in the effort to refloat the ship. He said the refloating was a "massive technical complexity". He added: "The world can now rest assured about the passage of goods through this pivotal shipping route. Egyptians today proved that they are always up to the challenge."

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11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Suez Canal - Level 6

The Suez Canal is finally open again after the giant vessel that had blocked it for a week is refloated. The 220,000-ton Ever Given container ship managed to get wedged between both sides of the strategic waterway last week. The subsequent blockage disrupted global trade and international markets. Analysts forecast it has cost Egypt $100 million in lost revenue. The week-long jam means there is a backlog of ships waiting to sail through the canal. More than 450 ships are anchored in the Red Sea or in the Mediterranean near both ends of the canal. Authorities say they will try and double the daily average of 50 ships to pass through the channel to around 90 to 100 vessels.

There has been a monumental effort over the past week to free the 400-metre-long Ever Given. Dredgers have been clearing sand underneath it in an attempt to refloat it, and a flotilla of 30 tug boats worked to pull it away from the canal's banks. They were helped by a high tide in the final hours of the salvage operation. Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi thanked everyone who took part in the effort to refloat the ship. On social media, he said the refloating was successful despite there being "massive technical complexity". He added: "The world can now rest assured about the passage of goods through this pivotal shipping route. Egyptians today proved that they are always up to the challenge."

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25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson