Suez Canal Authority
- A large shipping vessel called Ever Given has been stuck in the Suez Canal since Tuesday.
- Experts have said it could take weeks to dislodge the ship from the canal.
- An image of an excavator digging around the ship shows how difficult the task may be.
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A massive shipping container has been blocking the Suez Canal for more than two days, and a photo of an excavator trying to dig it out shows just how hard it will be to free the watercraft.
The Ever Given became lodged in the heavily trafficked waterway in Egypt on Tuesday morning.
Suez Canal Authority
The ship, which is 1,300 feet long, is stuck on the ground of the canal, and it's unclear when and how it will be moved.
Experts have said it could take weeks to dislodge the ship and cause strain to the vital supply chain route that connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea.
And it appears workers on the ground are trying everything to get the ship to move, including a construction excavator that looks miniature against the giant ship.
An image of the excavator was shared by the Suez Canal Authority this week, showing the construction machine digging away at the dirt that has surrounded the ship.
Other efforts to move the ship include towing and pushing the vessel with large tug boats, according to the Suez Canal Authority.
Navigation through the canal has been temporarily suspended as workers attempt to move the ship.
Some shipping companies that had hoped to use the canal, meanwhile, are considering traveling around Africa, a costly journey that would take much longer.