Efforts underway to refloat giant container vessel stuck in U.S. bay

Photo taken on March 15, 2022 shows the container vessel Ever Forward in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay, the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The "grounding has not prevented other ships from transiting into or out of the Port of Baltimore," the port authorities said.

WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Efforts are underway to refloat a giant container vessel stuck in the Chesapeake Bay, the largest inlet in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the eastern United States.

William Doyle, executive director of the Port of Baltimore, tweeted on Wednesday that technical experts boarded the Ever Forward Monday and Tuesday to evaluate its condition.

"A salvage team, Naval architects, and divers are working to determine the best course of action to free the ship," Doyle wrote, adding that the U.S Coast Guard is lead federal agency in this matter.

The 334-meter cargo ship became stranded on Sunday evening after departing the Port of Baltimore for Norfolk, Virginia. There have been no injuries or pollution-related spills.

The ship's location is just off Gibson Island near the Craighill channel in the Chesapeake Bay. According to vessel tracking website VesselFinder, it remains "aground."

The "grounding has not prevented other ships from transiting into or out of the Port of Baltimore," Doyle continued. "Business and commerce-related activities at the Port of Baltimore continue as normal."

The U.S Coast Guard has put in place a safety zone around the Ever Forward. Nearby vessels are required to slow down and conduct one-way traffic.

The Ever Forward is believed to be 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.