DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A giant backhoe and a squadron of tugboats look minuscule against the cargo ship’s bulk, demonstrating the enormity of the challenge at hand: freeing the wedged, skyscraper-sized container ship that has blocked the entire width of the Suez Canal and created a major traffic jam on one of the world’s most crucial trade routes. It’s not entirely clear how the ship became stuck. But it has had major effects on world trade. Dredgers and tugboats haven’t been able to free the ship so far. An expert salvage team flew from the Netherlands to the canal on Thursday to join the efforts. They may eventually have to remove the ship’s containers before trying to move it again.
