First voyage through expanded Panama canal

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AP

A Chinese container ship has become the first vessel to sail into the newly expanded Panama Canal.

Thousands gathered as the ship, called Cosco Shipping Panama, entered from the Atlantic en route to the Pacific.

Construction on the new lane for the canal, which runs for 77km (48 miles), began in 2007 and was due to finish in 2014.

But strikes and disputes over costs delayed the $5.2bn project (£3.8bn) project.

Panama Canal expansion prompts safety concerns

The original Panama Canal was first used in August 1914.

The expansion allows a new, much-larger generation of container ships to pass through the isthmus.

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AP

Image caption

Thousands gathered to watch the inaugural voyage

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First voyage through expanded Panama canal
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