Watch: Workers cheer as Suez Canal ship begins to float

Workers at the Suez Canal began to cheer as the 1,300-foot Ever Given cargo ship began to float on Monday after nearly a week of being lodged in the waterway.

According to The National senior correspondent Joyce Karam, the captain of an Egyptian crew said “Hamdullah” after seeing the ship float, meaning “thank God” in Arabic.

Moment that Egyptian crew managed to free Vessel. Captain of crew breathing a sigh of relief, giving and a “Hamdullah” (Thank goodness).

Over 300 ships are jammed in #Suez Canal since Ever Given blocked the passage connecting Asia to Europe & US pic.twitter.com/VThiofqmwd

— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) March 29, 2021

Karam said the ship became unstuck and began moving around 5:42 a.m. local time in Egypt.

BREAKING : EVER GIVEN ship has been UNSTUCK & Moving into #Suez Canal after 6 Days!!

Egyptian crew managed to float it moments ago. It’s 5:42 am there: pic.twitter.com/GoMlYjQerL

— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) March 29, 2021

The grounding of the Japanese-owned, Taiwanese-operated Ever Given ship has blocked more than 300 other ships from passing through the Suez Canal, one of the most important waterways to the global economy. Estimates have indicated that the block is delaying $400 million an hour in worldwide trading. If delays continue past Monday, world trade could be seriously affected as ships will be forced to take longer routes around Africa.

The cause of the block has been attributed to strong winds or possibly human error, with the ship’s owner Evergreen Marine and the head of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Osama Rabie, giving conflicting causes for the grounding of the ship.

Pentagon officials confirmed on Sunday that the block caused by the Ever Given will affect the movement of U.S. military vessels. However, it added that the Department of Defense has alternative methods of supporting operations in the region.

“We are not going to talk about specific operational impacts,” Rebecca Rebarich, a public affairs officer with the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet told The Hill in a statement. “

“The Suez Canal is an essential maritime choke point, and the longer passage is suspended, the more impact it will have to civilian and military transits. However, we have alternate capabilities to mitigate impact and support to our operations in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility throughout any extended blockage,” Rebarich added.