In pictures: Container ship blocking the Suez Canal finally on the move

image copyrightEPA

image captionThe huge container ship is four football fields long

After almost a week blocking the Suez Canal, a a 400m-long (1,300ft) container ship is finally on the move again.

The Ever Given, operated by Evergreen Marine Corp, became stuck last Tuesday during a sandstorm.

For days it was lodged diagonally on one of the world's key shipping lanes, causing traffic to build up and other ships to be rerouted.

But now, after an operation involving tug boats and dredging, the vessel is fully refloated and heading north.

image copyrightEPA

image captionThe Ever Given became stuck a week ago, wedging itself diagonally across the canal

image copyrightEPA

image captionOfficials from the Suez Canal Authority visited the stranded ship last week to work out a rescue plan

image copyrightEPA

image captionTug boats were deployed to shift the 200,000-tonne vessel

image copyrightEPA

image captionDredgers cleared approximately 30,000 cubic metres of sand from around the ship's hull

image copyrightEPA

image captionNearly 400 other vessels became stuck in a queue behind the ship

image copyrightAFP

image captionOn Monday, after days of effort, the ship was at last dislodged

image copyrightReuters

image captionThe Ever Given continued its passage north

image copyrightGetty Images

image captionLast year the Suez Canal was used by an average of 51.5 ships per day

image copyrightGetty Images

image captionThe Suez Canal, pictured here in 2017, is 193km (120 miles) long and incorporates three natural lakes

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