Iran confirms 30 Iranians missing in vessels collide off east China coast

TEHRAN, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Petroleum Ministry on Sunday confirmed that 32 crew members, including 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis, have gone missing after two vessels collided off China's east coast.

The collision, between a Panama-registered oil tanker and a Hong Kong-registered bulk freighter, occurred on Saturday in waters about 160 sea miles east of the Yangtze River's estuary.

The 274-meter-long oil tanker Sanchi, owned by National Iranian Shipping Company and with 136,000 tonnes of condensate oil on board, was travelling from Iran to South Korea. It caught fire after the collision and was still burning.