“The black boxes for the tanker Sanchi and the freighter CF Crystal were opened before the representatives from Iran, China, Hong Kong, and Panama and the decoding process started,” said Deputy Managing Director of Iranian Ports and Maritime Organization for Maritime Affairs Hadi Haghshenas on Wednesday.
“From Friday, the crew of the freighter CF Crystal will go through interrogation which would go parallel with decoding process,” said the official.
“There is no representative from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) present in the investigation committee but the committee is obliged to continuously brief the IMO,” asserted Mr. Haghshenas.
The Sanchi, run by Iran’s top oil shipping operator, collided with the CF Crystal about 160 nautical miles off the coast of China near Shanghai and the mouth of the Yangtze River Delta on Jan. 6.
The Panama-registered tanker was sailing from Iran to South Korea, carrying 136,000 tonnes of condensate, an ultra-light crude, equivalent to just under 1 million barrels, worth about $60 million.
The Sanchi sank on January 14 after burning for several days. The entire crew of 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis, are presumed dead.
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