The collision resulted in 32 missing sailors and a potentially devastating oil slick, BBC reported.
The oil tanker Sanchi collided with the cargo ship CF Crystal off China’s east coast near Shanghai over the weekend, resulting in an oil slick and 32 missing people, BBC reported.
The 21 crew members of the CF Crystal were rescued, the Chinese ministry of transport said in a statement. However, the ministry said, “Sanchi is floating and burning. There is an oil slick and we are pushing forward with rescue efforts.”
Sanchi was carrying 136,000 metric tons of Iranian oil worth $60 million, according to BBC. It is the first major accident involving an Iranian oil tanker since international sanctions limiting the country’s oil exports were lifted in January 2016.
“This is a big spill,” oceanographer Dr. Simon Boxall told BBC. “Potentially the entire load, 136,000 [metric tons], could end up in the ocean, and that would put this in the top 10 spills of all time, so it is significant. The only positive side is that, at the moment, the winds are keeping the oil offshore. The chances of it reaching the shore are fairly slim. But we are looking at a lot of oil here and the water depth in that area is only about 50m to 60m, so in the immediate area it will have a dramatic impact.”
The tanker had been sailing to Daesan in South Korea from Kharg Island in Iran, according to Reuters ship tracking data, BBC said.
Meanwhile, the CF Crystal was carrying 64,000 metric tons of grain from the U.S. to Guangdong province in southern China.
Cargo ship, oil tanker collide near Shanghai
