Tanker "Sanchi" is seen ablaze after a collision with a Hong Kong-registered freighter off China's eastern coast. Photo / AP
Tanker "Sanchi" is seen ablaze after a collision with a Hong Kong-registered freighter off China's eastern coast. Photo / AP
Rescue crews have scrambled to bring a blaze on an Iranian oil tanker off China's coast under control as fire raged for a second day after a collision with a grain ship, while the US Navy joined the search for 32 missing crew.
Concerns were growing that the tanker, whichhit a freight ship on Sunday in the East China Sea, may explode and sink as the inferno grew, China Central Television said yesterday, citing experts on the rescue team.
The extent of the environmental harm and size of the oil spill from the ship were not known.
As of last night, the search team had not found any of the missing mariners, CCTV said.
The Sanchi tanker run by Iran's top oil shipping operator, collided with the CF Crystal about 160 nautical miles off China's coast near Shanghai and the mouth of the Yangtze River Delta. CCTV showed footage of a flotilla of boats battling flames. China sent four rescue ships and three cleaning boats, while South Korea dispatched a ship and a helicopter.
The Panama-registered tanker was sailing from Iran to South Korea, carrying 136,000 tonnes of condensate. The freight ship, which was carrying US grain, suffered limited damage and the 21 crew members were rescued.
