Incredible aerial footage has shown rows and rows of ships waiting to pass through the Suez Canal after it was blocked by the Ever Given ship last Tuesday (March 23).

It is hoped that traffic will soon be able to pass through the route after the 1,300ft vessel, which contains around 20,000 shipping containers, was dislodged from the shoreline - but rescue efforts to fully correct and refloat the ship are still underway.

BBC News reports that 367 ships are waiting to pass through, with officials saying that it will take three and a half days to clear the traffic jam.

Watch the ariel footage below:

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It is estimated that 90% of the delayed vessels have not been insured for such an incident, Loyd's List reports.

"We are starting to build a picture of the number of ships that are delayed, and the number of ships we insure that are delayed,’ William Robinson, managing director of the strike and delay class at the Standard Club, said.

"We feel this is a valuable product. This kind of incident shows why it is valuable, even for those kinds of incidents people plan for but hope will never happen."

The cargo ship was freed earlier today, with BBC News reporting that this was the result of a nearly-week-long mission.

The Suez Canal Authority said that the Ever Given has been corrected by 80% and that efforts to refloat the ship have already started.

Reuters reported that the stern of the ship is now 102 meters off the shore thanks to efforts of rescue workers from local authorities and the Dutch company Smit Salvage.

The Evergreen. [[imagecaption|| Credit: Alamy]]

The Ever Given is 400 meters in length - taller than the Empire State Building - and a ship of its size can carry as many as 20,000 twenty-foot containers, BBC News reports.

While the incident has been a source of humor for many online commentators, it has sparked a crisis within the shipping industry, and Insider reported that some shipping firms were beginning to divert vessels bound for Suez around Africa instead - adding thousands of miles to their journey, days in delays, and huge added expenses to their voyages.

These are some of the most popular memes inspired by the incident:

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It remains unclear how the huge vessel ran aground, with everything from high winds to power failures to "human error" all being reported as potential causes.

Featured image credit: Alamy / DPA

Ariel footage shows ships waiting to pass through the Suez Canal