Giant Maersk ship freed after running aground by german port

A giant container vessel owned by A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S has been freed after running aground outside a German port, removing worries about a possible new snarl for global shipping.

The Mumbai Maersk, one of the world’s largest container ships, was refloated on Friday after it ran aground on a shallow patch near Bremerhaven late Wednesday, a Copenhagen-based spokesperson from the shipping line said by phone. The vessel is now moving away with restricted maneuverability from the site, Bloomberg shipping data shows.

Shipping lanes approaching Bremerhaven are open as normal, according to a spokesman for Germany’s Central Command for Maritime Emergencies. The Mumbai Maersk is undergoing checks to determine whether it can sail away itself or whether it will require assistance from tug boats, the spokesman said.

The world’s shipping sector has been beset with congestion and delays, slowing the flow of goods between the U.S., Europe, and Asia’s manufacturing hubs, as the spread of the omicron variant of coronavirus causes worker shortages.

Mumbai Maersk was sailing from Asia to Germany with cargo bound for Scandinavian countries when it ran into trouble, Maersk said. Extra tugs were deployed and a new attempt to free the vessel was made on Thursday after an earlier attempt failed.

Read more: The Inside Story of the Stuck Suez Ship That Broke Global Trade

No damage to the hull or crew injuries have been reported, and the vessel hadn’t blocked the port’s entrance, according to the shipping line. The vessel is roughly equivalent in length to the Ever Given, which held up world trade for about a week when it become lodged in the Suez Canal last year.