Some 15,000 to 20,000 cubic metres of sand need to be removed from around the bow of the Ever Given mega container ship that has run aground in the Suez Canal, the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said on Thursday.

This amount of sand needs to be removed in order to reach a depth of 12 to 16 metres and allow the vessel to float.

In the latest press release by the SCA concerning the stranded 400-metre-long ship, the authority said that rescue work has continued into the evening in coordination with Dutch Rescue Company SMIT Salvage, which was contracted by the Japanese mother company that owns the vessel.

The statement said that the SCA deployed its Mashhour dredger on Thursday evening, and that SCA Chairman Osama Rabie inspected operations.

Nine tugboats, two dredgers and four diggers are participating in the rescue operation, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Cabinet earlier on Thursday.