Indian crew of ship face arrest as Suez Canal probe searches reasons for grounding

THE Suez Canal became a global talking point when a massive container ship named Ever Given blocked the shipping passage last week and holding up £6.5bn of trade every day.

The bow of the ship was finally dislodged from the channel's bank on Monday (29) and towed up the waterway after tugboats had straightened the vessel in an early-morning operation.

However, the crew onboard Ever Given including 25 Indians could face arrest and be 'made scapegoats' as investigators search for the cause of the grounding.

Reports suggest until the investigation is completed, the Suez Canal Authority may place the workers under house arrest.

The Indian government and the Indian seafarers' organisations also fear the crew could face criminal negligence charges and jail sentences for the six-day blockage, that held up the global shipping trade.

The ship's Japanese owner has said that it will also be part of the investigation but refused to discuss the possible causes of the grounding.

Denmark's Maersk, warns that 'it could take six days or more for the complete queue to pass'. The trapped container ships who formed the backlog because of the traffic jam were yesterday (30) seen making their way through the Suez Canal.

According to Suez Canal Authority chief Osama Rabie, 113 ships were due to navigate the unblocked section of the canal by 8am local time on Tuesday (30).