Egypt has alleged the master of the Ever Given lost control of the giant boxship that blocked the Suez Canal for six days in March.

The Wall Street Journal cited the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) as saying the 20,388-teu Evergreen-operated Ever Given (built 2018) veered left and right across the waterway before hitting a bank.

Sayed Sheisha, the SCA's chief investigator, was reported as saying: "The captain issued eight commands within 12 minutes as he tried to bring the ship back into alignment."