World
11:24, 07-Jan-2018
32 missing as two vessels collide off east China coast
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A Panama-registered oil tanker and a Hong Kong cargo ship collided some 160 nautical miles (296 km) off China’s east coast at around 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, leaving 32 crew members missing.
The “SANCHI” oil tanker caught on fire after the collision and 32 crew members, including 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis, remain unaccounted for, Iran's Petroleum Ministry confirmed.
A total of 21 Chinese crew members from the cargo ship were rescued, the statement said.
The Chinese government has sent vessels to the area as part of an operation to find and rescue the crew members who remain missing, according to a statement by Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.
China has also dispatched vessels for cleanup in order to avoid secondary disaster, the statement said.
An investigation into the incident is underway.
1215km