china says no major oil spill after iran tanker collision
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

China says no major oil spill after Iran tanker collision

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today China says no major oil spill after Iran tanker collision

The Iranian oil tanker was on its way to South Korea when it collided with the CF Crystal.
Beijing - Arab Today

Chinese authorities battling a blaze aboard an Iranian oil tanker said Wednesday no major spill has been detected, but an explosion had forced firefighting vessels temporarily to suspend work.

One body has been found but 31 sailors from the Sanchi -- mainly Iranians -- remained missing four days after it collided with a freighter off Shanghai.

The tanker owner said it was hopeful that some or all of the crew members were in a safe part of the vessel and would be rescued.

Cleanup and rescue ships have faced toxic fumes, rain and windy conditions as they scrambled to find survivors and avoid a massive oil slick since Saturday's incident.

The Sanchi, carrying 136,000 tonnes of light crude oil, has been in flames since colliding with the CF Crystal, a Hong Kong-registered bulk freighter, 160 nautical miles east of Shanghai.

Experts had warned that a spill of the Panamanian-flagged 274-metre (899-foot) tanker's cargo could spell environmental catastrophe, as authorities said the ship could explode or sink.

But China's transport ministry said in a statement that as of 6:00 pm Tuesday, "no large-scale oil spills were found on the sea surface" where the search is being conducted around the stricken vessel, which continued to burn.

The oil from the tanker is condensate that is expected quickly to evaporate upon hitting the water, with "very little residue on the water's surface", the ministry said.

A simulation test also found that less than one percent of oil content would remain on the sea surface five hours after a condensate oil leak.

Thirteen vessels are still searching for missing crew members within 900 square nautical miles of the tanker, according to the ministry.

It said a Japanese vessel had joined the firefighting efforts and ships were attempting to use foam to extinguish the blaze, but the measures had "not had the anticipated effect".

The ships temporarily halted work Wednesday afternoon after they were forced back by an explosion, the ministry added.

Weather conditions are also unfavourable, with "overcast and rainy weather", strong winds and waves.

- 'Our priority is lives' -

Of the 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis on the Sanchi's crew, only one body has so far been found.

"Our priority is the lives of the crew," said Mohsen Bahrami, a spokesman for the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) which operates the country's fleet of oil tankers.

"We still hope that at least some of them -- and I hope all -- are inside a protected part of the tanker," he said on Iranian state television.

"There is a good possibility that people are still alive," he added, while indicating that he had no solid information.

"We do not have the same priorities as the Chinese: they think first about the environment and prefer that the whole load burns, because it is a fishing area with a lot of fish", Bahrami said.

The oil tanker was on its way to South Korea when it collided with the CF Crystal, which was transporting grain to mainland China. The Crystal's 21 Chinese crew members were all rescued.

The Sanchi was transporting the oil to South Korea's Hanwha Total, Iran's petroleum ministry said. The ship and its cargo were insured.

This is the second accident in less than two years involving a tanker owned by the NITC.

In August 2016 an Iranian supertanker and a container ship collided in the Singapore Strait, causing damage to both vessels but no injuries or pollution.

 

Source: AFP

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

china says no major oil spill after iran tanker collision china says no major oil spill after iran tanker collision

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

china says no major oil spill after iran tanker collision china says no major oil spill after iran tanker collision

 



GMT 12:47 2016 Thursday ,01 September

'La La Land' musical masterpiece dazzles Venice film fest

GMT 12:42 2017 Monday ,20 February

Dalia al-Behairy begins 'Yawmiyat Zoga Mafrosa'

GMT 19:01 2017 Wednesday ,30 August

Oil prices down as US reels from Harvey

GMT 04:19 2017 Monday ,08 May

National forces attack mercenaries in Taiz

GMT 19:21 2017 Sunday ,07 May

Iranian Film Week opens in Baghdad

GMT 21:33 2017 Sunday ,30 July

Arab Quartet meeting kicks off in Bahrain

GMT 17:17 2016 Friday ,07 October

Aleppo bleeds as US and Russia spar

GMT 12:03 2015 Monday ,21 December

Nepal protester killed in constitutional crisis clash

GMT 09:47 2016 Thursday ,22 December

Trump vows to cut F-35 spending, as leaked memo

GMT 21:44 2017 Friday ,15 December

King establishes Hawar Development Committee

GMT 20:57 2017 Tuesday ,16 May

Naval Forces rescue 23 tourists in Hurghada

GMT 12:56 2017 Monday ,11 December

Lyon leave it late, Balotelli with Nice winner

GMT 06:18 2017 Thursday ,19 October

Russian delegation meets with Julphar chairman

GMT 21:20 2017 Monday ,23 October

Nasr, delegation of London Stock Exchange

GMT 14:40 2012 Saturday ,10 March

Magdy Al-Galad steps down

GMT 09:47 2017 Sunday ,12 March

Cat Camp in New York attracts cat lovers

GMT 14:57 2016 Friday ,09 September

Madonna, Ritchie settle child custody dispute

GMT 23:52 2017 Monday ,18 September

UAE economic growth boosting logistics sector
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday