As of the afternoon hours of 25 March 2021, the Suez Canal remains blocked in both directions after a Panama-flagged cargo ship — operated by a major Taiwanese shipping firm — ran aground diagonally in the canal on 23 March. Officials from a Dutch salvage company announced that they are sending equipment and personnel to aid in the recovery effort. The salvage company’s chief executive officer stated that efforts to remove the vessel could take several days or possibly weeks. Reports indicate that dozens of cargo vessels and oil tankers are waiting on both sides of the canal to pass through the waterway. The Taiwanese firm stated that strong winds overwhelmed the vessel — which is nearly 400 m (1,312 ft) long and 59 meters wide — when it entered the canal; winds of up to 50 kph (30 mph) were recorded in the area at the time of the incident.