Dredging to free container ship grounded in US bay halted

Washington, March 27

The dredging operation to free the container ship Ever Forward grounded in the Chesapeake Bay on the East Coast of the US was suspended due to weather conditions.

William Doyle, executive director of the Port of Baltimore in the state of Maryland, tweeted that the dredging operation is expected to resume on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.

Scattered showers lashed Maryland on Saturday afternoon, along with a few thunderstorms.

The Ever Forward, carrying nearly 5,000 containers, became stranded on March 13 after departing the Port of Baltimore for Norfolk, Virginia.

The vessel's location is just off Gibson Island near the Craighill channel in the Chesapeake Bay.

According to VesselFinder, it remained "aground" as of Saturday evening.

The Ever Forward is operated by Evergreen Marine Corp., whose Ever Given got stuck in Egypt's Suez Canal in March 2021, blocking the waterway for days and causing delays in global shipping.