China Offers Condolences over Deaths of Iranian Sailors
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi offered condolences over the deaths of crew members of an Iranian oil tanker that sank on Sunday days after a collision with another vessel in the East China Sea.
In a message to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, Wang expressed deep condolences over the deaths of the Iranian sailors aboard the tanker “Sanchi” as well as his sympathy toward their families, Xinhua reported.
Wang said China had done its utmost in the search and rescue operations carried out in close cooperation with Iran, and that it will maintain coordination with Iran in follow-up work.
The deaths of the Iranian sailors were announced days after the Panama-registered tanker and the Hong Kong-registered bulk freighter CF Crystal collided in waters about 300 km east of the Yangtze River estuary on Jan. 6.
The tanker, carrying 136,000 tons of gas condensates and other oils, caught fire after the collision. It sank on Sunday after burning for eight days.
Three bodies have been recovered of the missing 32 crew members aboard Sanchi, which included two Bangladeshis.