(CNN) — Thirty-two sailors are missing after an oil tanker and freight ship collided off the east coast of China Saturday, according to China’s Ministry of Transport.

The missing — 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshi citizens — are all crew members from the Panama-registered tanker SANCHI, the ministry said.

The collision took place approximately 160 nautical miles (184 statute miles) east of the mouth of the Yangtze River, at about 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET), it said in a statement.

“The accident caused oil tanker ‘SANCHI’ to catch on fire, tilting to the right, losing contact with the crew,” it said.

All 21 Chinese crew on board the Hong-Kong registered freighter the CF-Crystal were rescued, the ministry said.

The 274 meter-long (nearly 890 feet-long) SANCHI was carrying 136,000 tons of oil from Iran to South Korea when it collided with the CF Crystal, which had been transporting food from the United States to the Chinese city of Guangdong, it said.

The ministry said that the tanker was still afloat and burning Sunday morning 9 a.m. local time: “Until now, ‘SANCHI’ is floating and still on fire. There are fuel stains on the sea, the rescue is going on.”

The People’s Daily newspaper tweeted a photo that appeared to show the ship ablaze.

Chinese maritime officials have launched a search and rescue operation involving eight vessels, with support from South Korea, which has provided a coastguard ship and fixed wing aircraft, the ministry said.

Iran’s Shana news agency, which focuses on the country’s petroleum and energy sectors, reported that the SANCHI was managed by the National Iranian Tanker Company and that its cargo was worth around $60 million. Shana said the oil had been purchased by South Korean customers. </s> A body has been found on an Iranian oil tanker, which earlier collided with a cargo ship off the eastern coast of China and caught fire, officials said. Dozens of crew members from the tanker remain missing after the collision.The body was sent to Shanghai for identification, according to Mohammad Rastad, head of Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization, as cited by ISNA news agency on Monday. The deceased was reportedly a crew member aboard the tanker, Reuters said.Fire and rescue operations are continuing in the area but efforts are being hampered by the heavy blaze, Rastad said. Rescuers were forced to retreat due to the presence of toxic clouds, while the tanker is "in danger of exploding or sinking," China's Transportation Ministry said.There was no sign of survivors nearly 36 hours after the oil tanker caught fire, AFP reported, citing Chinese authorities.There is "little possibility" that condensate would leave traces in the ocean, a spokesman for South Korean company Hanwha Total, which rented the tanker, told AP on condition of anonymity.More than 30 people remain missing from the Panama-registered oil tanker 'Sanchi,' which collided with Hong Kong freighter 'CF Crystal' on Saturday evening. The accident caused a massive fire onboard the 'Sanchi,' forcing the tanker to tilt to the right. Though 'CF Crystal' was also damaged in the incident, its 21 crew were quickly rescued by East China Sea patrol boats."Most of the crew [on the tanker] were Iranians and, as no one can approach the ship from a 1km distance (because of the big fire that started after the collision), acquiring any information about the situation of the passengers and crew is difficult," Deputy Foreign Minister Hassan Qashqavi told Fars News Agency on Sunday.The 'Sanchi' tanker, operated by Iran's Glory Shipping company, was on its way to deliver 136,000 tons of condensate - a type of ultra-light oil - to South Korea. The 'CF Crystal' was carrying 64,000 tons of grain from the United States, en route to the Guangdong Province in China when the incident occurred. </s> Beijing (CNN) Thirty-two sailors are missing after an oil tanker and freight ship collided off the east coast of China Saturday, according to China's Ministry of Transport.

The missing -- 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshi citizens -- are all crew members from the Panama-registered tanker SANCHI, the ministry said.

The collision took place approximately 160 nautical miles (184 statute miles) east of the mouth of the Yangtze River, at about 8 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET), it said in a statement.

"The accident caused oil tanker 'SANCHI' to catch on fire, tilting to the right, losing contact with the crew," it said.

32 crew members, incl. 30 Iranians & 2 Bengalese, have gone missing after a Panama-registered oil tanker and a Hong Kong-registered bulk freighter collided off China's east coast on Sat evening. Search and rescue are underway pic.twitter.com/o7jDIu9oDb — People's Daily,China (@PDChina) January 7, 2018

All 21 Chinese crew on board the Hong-Kong registered freighter the CF-Crystal were rescued, the ministry said.

Read More </s> At least 32 crew members have been reportedly gone missing after two vessels, one from Iran and another from China, collided into each other in the China’s east coast on late Saturday night. While all the 21 crew members on Chinese vessel have been successfully rescued, an official from Transport Ministry of China confirmed. Most of the people missing after the accident are Iranians and according to reports, authorities have launched a full-scale rescue operation to retrieve the missing crew.

On late Saturday night, an oil tanker from Iran and a cargo ship from China rammed into each other. The accident resulted in massive fire and huge oil spillage in waters about 160 nautical miles east of Shanghai. The Iranian tanker Sanchi was reportedly carrying 136,000 tonnes of oil and was on fire till early Sunday morning, authorities reported. Among the 32 people missing from the oil tanker, 30 are from Iran and 2 from Bangladesh.

On other hand, the cargo ship CF Crystal was damaged in the accident as well but as per China’s transport ministry, the safety of the freighter was not jeopardised and all of the 21 crew members on board were successfully rescued from the spot. The Chinese maritime authorities immediately rushed eight rescue ships to the site of accident while South Korea joined hands in the operation as well by sending a plane and a coast guard ship. </s> BEIJING — An Iranian oil tanker collided with a bulk freighter and caught fire off China's eastern coast, leaving its entire crew of 32 missing, most of them Iranians, authorities said Sunday.

The missing — 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis — are all from the tanker Sanchi, which spilled oil and was floating while still burning early Sunday, said Chinese maritime authorities, who dispatched police vessels and three cleaning ships to the scene.

Chinese state media carried pictures of the tanker on fire with smoke plumes daytime Sunday.

The South Korean coast guard also sent a ship and an airplane to aid the search effort.

The Panama-registered tanker was sailing from Iran to South Korea when it collided with the Hong Kong-registered freighter CF Crystal 257 kilometres (160 miles) off the coast of Shanghai late Saturday, the Ministry of Transport said.

All 21 members of the Crystal's crew — all Chinese nationals — were rescued, the ministry said.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the collision.

The Sanchi was carrying 136,000 metric tons (150,000 tons) of condensate, a type of ultra-light oil, while the Crystal was carrying grain from the United States, according to Chinese authorities.

The size of the oil slick caused by the accident was not immediately known.

The tanker has operated under five different names in the time since it was built in 2008, according the U.N.-run International Maritime Organization. The IMO listed its registered owner as Hong Kong-based Bright Shipping Ltd., care of the National Iranian Tanker Co., a publicly traded company based in Tehran. The National Iranian Tanker Co. describes itself as operating the largest tanker fleet in the Middle East. </s> BEIJING—An Iranian oil tanker collided with a bulk freighter and caught fire off China’s east coast, leaving the tanker’s entire crew of 32 missing and causing it to spill oil into the sea, authorities said Sunday. Chinese authorities dispatched police vessels and three cleaning ships to the scene after the collision, which happened late Saturday. The South Korean coast guard also sent a ship and a plane to help search for the missing crew members — 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis. The Panama-registered tanker Sanchi was sailing from Iran to South Korea when it collided with the Hong Kong-registered freighter CF Crystal in the East China Sea, 257 kilometres off the coast of Shanghai, China’s Ministry of Transport said. All 21 crew members of the Crystal, which was carrying grain from the United States, were rescued, the ministry said. The Crystal’s crew members were all Chinese nationals. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the collision.

State-run China Central Television reported Sunday evening that the tanker was still floating and burning, and that oil was visible in the water. It was not clear, however, whether the tanker was still spilling oil. The size of the oil slick caused by the accident also was not known. Earlier Sunday, Chinese state media carried pictures of the tanker on fire with large plumes of smoke.

The Sanchi was carrying 136,000 metric tons (or nearly 1 million barrels) of condensate, a type of ultralight oil, according to Chinese authorities. By comparison, the Exxon Valdez was carrying 1.26 million barrels of crude oil when it spilled 260,000 barrels into Prince William Sound off Alaska in 1989. The Sanchi has operated under five different names since it was built in 2008, according the UN-run International Maritime Organization. The IMO listed its registered owner as Hong Kong-based Bright Shipping Ltd., on behalf of the National Iranian Tanker Co., a publicly traded company based in Tehran. The National Iranian Tanker Co. describes itself as operating the largest tanker fleet in the Middle East. An official in Iran’s Oil Ministry, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters, said 30 of the tanker’s 32 crew members were Iranians. “We have no information on their fate,” he said. “We cannot say all of them have died, because rescue teams are there and providing services.” The official said the tanker was owned by the National Iranian Tanker Co. and had been rented by a South Korean company, Hanwha Total Co. He said the tanker was on its way to South Korea. Hanwa Total is a 50-50 partnership between the Seoul-based Hanwha Group and the French oil giant Total. Total did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s the second collision for a ship from the National Iranian Tanker Co. in less than a year and a half. In August 2016, one of its tankers collided with a Swiss container ship in the Singapore Strait, damaging both ships but causing no injuries or oil spill. Read more: China tightens trade to North Korea under intensified UN nuclear sanctions </s> A burning Iranian tanker listing for days off the coast of China after a collision with another vessel sank Sunday, with an Iranian official saying there was "no hope" of survival for the 29 missing sailors onboard.

Iranian state television reported that the Sanchi had sunk Sunday, days after its collision in the East China Sea. An anchorwoman on state television also offered condolences on behalf of the nation for the loss.

China's state broadcaster confirmed the ship had sunk and also said the ship's voice data recorder, which functions like "black boxes" on aircraft, had been recovered.

The cause of the collision, 160 miles off the coast of Shanghai, remains unclear. Three bodies have been recovered from the sea, leaving 29 crew members still unaccounted for. The crew was all Iranian expect for two Bangladeshis.

Iranian state TV had earlier quoted the chief of Iran's maritime agency, Mahmoud Rastad, as saying: "There is no hope of finding survivors among the (missing) 29 members of the crew."

The Chinese freighter CF Crystal, which collided with the Panamanian-registered tanker, had 21 crew members, all of whom were reported safe.

Thirteen ships, including one from South Korea and two from Japan, were engaged in the rescue and cleanup effort Saturday, spraying foam in an effort to extinguish the fire. The tanker was carrying a cargo of nearly 1 million barrels of condensate, a type of gassy, ultra-light oil that readily evaporates or burns off in a fire, reducing the chance of a major oil spill.

Intense flames, bad weather and poor visibility have all hampered rescue efforts. </s> An Iranian oil tanker sunk today after burning for more than a week, leaving a slick of oil to on fire in surrounding waters.

The collision happened last Saturday - 114 miles off China's coast, near Shanghai - between an oil tanker called the Sanchi and a Chinese freighter.

Two bodies were recovered from the tanker yesterday.

Another body, presumed to be one of the Sanchi's sailors, was found on Monday and brought to Shanghai for identification.

The Sanchi's crew consisted of 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis.

All 21 crew members of the Chinese freighter were reported safe.

A report today quoted Mahmoud Rastad, the chief of Iran's maritime agency, as saying: 'There is no hope of finding survivors.'

The tanker, owned by National Iranian Tanker Co, was carrying almost 1 million barrels of condensate, an ultra-light crude oil, to South Korea.

It 'suddenly ignited' at noon, according to China Central Television (CCTV), and sunk before 5pm. It had been adrift and on fire following the accident with the freighter CF Crystal.

China's State Oceanic Administration said that because the hull of the ship had detonated, a large amount of oil in surrounding waters was on fire, reports the official Xinhua news agency.

The administration said it would widen its search area and 'quickly ascertain the spread and drift of overflowing oil' from the shipwreck.

The Sanchi's crew consisted of 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad, Javad Zarif, that 'as long as there is 1 percent of hope, China will continue to make 100 percent effort' to rescue and recover other members of the crew.

The CF Crystal was carrying grain from the United States. </s> A stricken Iranian oil tanker continued to burn out of control for a third day in the East China Sea as rescue boats struggled Tuesday to locate missing sailors before the vessel explodes.

The tanker Sanchi, run by Iran’s top oil shipping operator, has been on fire since late Saturday night, when it hit a freight ship about 160 miles off the coast of Shanghai, burst into flames and began spilling oil into the sea.

“We can’t grasp the level of oil contamination at this moment," Park Sung-dong, an official from South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, told Reuters. "The cargo is still on fire, so it is hard to figure out if oil is being spilled."

Dozens of rescue boats that have responded to the scene are facing wind-driven rain and waves as high as 10 feet, China's Ministry of Transport said Tuesday in a statement. The poor weather conditions, fierce flames and threat of poisonous gases have kept crews away from the stricken vessel under fears it may also explode.

Two South Korean officials told Reuters the flames are keeping the South Korean Coast Guard’s search and rescue team as far as three miles away from the tanker. Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television showed video Monday of boats trying to douse the flames with water, and reported the boat could still explode.

The tanker was carrying nearly 1 million barrels of condensate, a type of gassy, ultra-light oil, when it collided with the Hong Kong-registered freighter CF Crystal, which was carrying grain from the United States. All 21 crew members of the Crystal were rescued, the Chinese ministry said. The Crystal's crew members were all Chinese nationals.

IRANIAN OIL TANKER BURNING OFF CHINA MAY EXPLODE, BODY FOUND IN SEARCH FOR MISSING CREW

A sailor on the fishing boat that rescued the crew of the CF Crystal told the state-owned Xinhua News the blaze on the oil tanker kept "exploding like bombs.

“The fire was so fierce. It kept exploding like bombs. So loud,” Zhu Tingwen said.

For the crew on board the Sanchi, the situation becomes more grim as the days go on.

Rescuers found a body on Monday believed to be of a sailor from the oil tanker, China's Ministry of Transportation said, as the search continued for another 31 missing from the same ship.

The ministry said the body recovered Monday had yet to be identified but was wearing a protective suit designed to withstand cold seawater. There was no further word about the others missing.

US NAVY PLANE JOINS HUNT FOR 32 SAILORS AFTER IRANIAN TANKER COLLIDES WITH FREIGHTER OFF CHINA

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the collision, which happened in open seas rather than a narrow channel where such accidents are more common.

The collision has set off concerns of a potential environmental disaster, although condensate is more likely to evaporate or burn off immediately than thick, heavy crude oil. However, the Sanchi's own fuel that leaked during the collision will be more difficult to clean, especially if the tanker explodes and sinks.

An official in Iran's Oil Ministry, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters, said the tanker was owned by the National Iranian Tanker Co. and confirmed that 30 of the tanker's 32 crew members were Iranians. The others are Bangladeshi.

It's the second collision for a ship from the National Iranian Tanker Co. in less than a year and a half. In August 2016, one of its tankers collided with a Swiss container ship in crowded waters near Singapore, damaging both ships but causing no injuries or oil spill.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Thirty-two sailors are missing after Iranian oil tanker MV Sanchi and Chinese freighter CF-Crystal collide off the east coast of China. The collision ignites the oil tanker, which carried a 136,000-tonne load.