As many as 321 ships are awaiting transit through the Suez Canal after the gigantic container ship Ever Given ran aground blocking the waterway, Osama Rabie, the head of the Suez Canal Authority (SCA), said at a news conference in Ismailia on Saturday.

Axar.az reports that this was reported by Russian media.

"A total of 321 ships are stuck at the north and south ends of the canal as well as at the lake near Ismailia," he said. "Each is being provided with logistical support."

According to Rabie, 9,000 tons of ballast water were removed from the ship.

"The situation is complicated as the container ship is longer than the canal’s width," he said.

The Ever Given vessel, which belongs to the Japanese company Shoei Kisen KK and flies the Panamanian flag, blocked the southern end of the Suez Canal after being caught in strong winds and a sandstorm. The massive ship changed the course and wedged her bow and stern into the opposite banks of the waterway.

"No one was killed or injured in the incident. Nor was any pollution damage done," Rabie said.