Deputy Foreign Minister for Consular, Parliamentary and Iranian Affairs, Hassan Ghashghavi, noted his correspondence with Iranian ambassador to China, adding “since the collision happened 160 nautical miles east of Shanghai, we are also in touch with our consul general in Shanghai to get informed about the smallest details of the incident.”
He went on to add, “based on what has been said so far, the oil tanker was carrying crude oil and petrochemical derivatives [bound to Republic of Korea].”
The collision occurred 160 nautical miles east of the Yangtze River's estuary, he said.
Ghashghavi also put the number of Iranian crew on board of the oil tanker at 30, along with two Bangladeshis.
On Saturday evening, thirty-two crew members went missing after two vessels collided off China's east coast. According to China's Ministry of Transport, 21 crew members on the bulk freighter - all Chinese nationals - have been rescued, but there has been no information on the condition of the missing crew on the Iranian tanker, SANCHI.
Chinese maritime authorities have dispatched eight vessels, including three specialized cleansing vessels, for search and rescue. South Korea also sent a plane and a coast guard ship to help, according to Xinhua news agency.
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