A huge containership that ran aground in Egypt’s Suez Canal, blocking one of the world’s major maritime trade routes, is being managed by Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, which has an office in Bermuda.

The Ever Given is 400 metres long, and has a gross weight for 200,000 tonnes. It was navigating the narrow waterway when it was hit by strong winds, which caused it to become grounded. The ship was stuck at an angle, which meant other ships heading north or south through the waterway could not get past to continue their journeys.

The canal links the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, and is an important route for maritime traffic journeying between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. On average, about 50 vessels pass through the canal each day, which is 120 miles long, 205 metres wide and 24m deep.

The Ever Given is registered in Panama, and operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine. It was heading for Rotterdam, Netherlands, when it became stuck in the canal at 7.40am local time on Tuesday.

Bernard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) is technical manager of the ship. It said it is working with local authorities and service providers to refloat the vessel.

A BSM spokesperson said: “All 25 crew are safe and accounted for. There have been no reports of injuries, pollution or cargo damage and initial investigations rule out any mechanical or engine failure as a cause of the grounding.

“Dredgers are working to clear sand and mud from around the vessel to free her. Tugboats in conjunction with Ever Given’s winches are working to shift the vessel

“BSM’s immediate priorities are to safely re-float the vessel and for marine traffic in the Suez Canal to resume. The continued efforts of the Suez Canal Authority and those involved in ongoing re-floating operations are greatly appreciated and BSM will continue to work closely with all parties involved in this operation.

“Once re-floated, the vessel will undergo a full inspection and BSM will cooperate fully with the relevant authorities on reports of the incident.”