Salvager raises hopes of clearing Suez canal by early next week

Suez Canal Authority warns that removing containers from grounded ship will delay operation

An intense effort to free a container ship blocking the Suez canal is struggling with strong tides and winds, according to the Egyptian head of the effort, who said he still hoped to free the vessel within days.

The longer the skyscraper-sized Ever Given remains in place, the greater the possibility its load will need to be lightened using cranes, the Suez Canal Authority chief, Osama Rabie, told a press conference on Saturday, a strategy that experts have said would probably extend the salvage effort by weeks.