# China Sea Collision - 32 missing



## Binnacle

A tanker carrying Iranian oil and run by the country’s top oil shipping operator was ablaze and spewing its cargo into the East China Sea on Sunday after colliding with a Chinese bulk ship, the Chinese government said.

The Sanchi tanker <C}KS7309492494>, registered in Panama, collided with the CF Crystal <C}BO7309522955> about 160 nautical miles off the coast near Shanghai on Saturday, the Ministry of Transportation said in statement.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...es-with-chinese-ship-spills-oil-idUSKBN1EW059


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## stevekelly10

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-42594249


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## willincity

Binnacle said:


> A tanker carrying Iranian oil and run by the country’s top oil shipping operator was ablaze and spewing its cargo into the East China Sea on Sunday after colliding with a Chinese bulk ship, the Chinese government said.
> 
> The Sanchi tanker <C}KS7309492494>, registered in Panama, collided with the CF Crystal <C}BO7309522955> about 160 nautical miles off the coast near Shanghai on Saturday, the Ministry of Transportation said in statement.
> 
> https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...es-with-chinese-ship-spills-oil-idUSKBN1EW059


32 crew members are missing ! but some bollox from the Iranian oil Ministry in a statement says the ship and its cargo were insured. 
Well that's just fine and dandy................... 

Let us hope that the complete statement from the Ministry is also considering the dramatic human impact (although apparently a still confusing situation)


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## 5036

A picture summing up the worst fears of our trade.


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## tsell

Our thoughts must go out to the crew and the families of those missing. RIP...

Taff


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## BobClay

nav said:


> A picture summing up the worst fears of our trade.


That truly is an awful sight ….


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## Blade Fisher

BobClay said:


> That truly is an awful sight ….


Yep. Some of us know what that's like.


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## woodend

As has been said a very nasty, tragic loss of life and irrespective of colour, class or creed they were seamem! R.I.P.


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## G0SLP

It's now being reported that the cargo was crude condensate - good news in that it won't leave any persistent slick. However, I'm more concerned that the 32 seafarers are still missing, and I fear the worst. Awful. Just awful. My sympathies to their families, colleagues and friends.


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## Barrie Youde

Horrifying.

R.I.P.


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## Varley

The casual and obvious racism of the media. Western anyway. I wonder if there would be more in the way of sympathy for the distressed families (as I am sure that is all there is left now) if we still had something of a Merchant Navy. From the protection of a our trade routes against piracy to the ignoring of human factors (except for the laying of blame) but never potential pollution it seems a case of "no white men involved, let'em burn".


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## OOCy

I agree with Varley to an extent, but the press in this country has always been blaise with regards UK shipping. When you look back over the years at the number of British ships involved in accidents (ie running aground, or sadly being lost), very little mention is made in the news. One occasion that springs to mind was the Stag Line vessel Photina which ran aground in Lake Michigan during a storm back in the 70's. No mention in the national press at all, but a 2 minute slot on Look North.
Thus, unless it happens in our own backyard, there is no interest at all.


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## Samsette

The tanker is Iranian owned and, all but two of the crew are Iranian. On top of all that, has no one noticed the anti-Iran heatwave out of US/Israeli/Saudi warmongers?


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## callpor

Samsette said:


> The tanker is Iranian owned and, all but two of the crew are Iranian. On top of all that, has no one noticed the anti-Iran heatwave out of US/Israeli/Saudi warmongers?


Yes, the blogs are full of conspiracy theories about what can only be described as a maritime tragedy.

Strange that 6 days after the collision there are no AIS plots of the situation or cir***stances. I am mystified? Any other incident would have produced a multitude of opinions as to the causes and plots of the tracks of both vessels.


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## DeepSeaDiver

Just devastating. Not sure how anybody could have survived the heat.


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## tsell

Latest news, one body found, 31 still missing.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-...ber-body-found-as-rescuers-fight-fire/9312882

Taff


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## callpor

Let's hope that most of those 31 missing crew have found shelter in the ER as NITC has stated.
Reports of the fire continuing to burn for several weeks is not an overstatement? Remember the Yuyo Maru collision with Pacific Aries in 1974 in Tokyo Bay, where this combination carrier of LPG/Naptha burnt for 21 days before being bombed and sunk by the Japanese Navy.


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## G0SLP

callpor said:


> Let's hope that most of those 31 missing crew have found shelter in the ER as NITC has stated.
> Reports of the fire continuing to burn for several weeks is not an overstatement? Remember the Yuyo Maru collision with Pacific Aries in 1974 in Tokyo Bay, where this combination carrier of LPG/Naptha burnt for 21 days before being bombed and sunk by the Japanese Navy.


There's some photos elsewhere on the web now showing the accommodation block completely burnt on the outside, so what that would do for air supply to the machinery spaces, goodness only knows. In fact, it looks as though most of the paint on the hull above the waterline is gone too. Hardly surprising, given the photos I've seen of her well ablaze. The heat being given off would have been incredible.


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## ART6

Apparently the explosion that was feared has occurred, and there is a danger that the ship will sink. Not much hope now for the crew, I would imagine.
http://gcaptain.com/explosion-on-burning-tanker-sanchi-forces-rescue-crews-to-retreat/?goal=0_f50174ef03-1aca0329b7-139925085&mc_cid=1aca0329b7&mc_eid=8092cdd0a4


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## Stephen J. Card

"Iran’s Navy joined the effort on Wednesday, a government official said, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA)."

Iran ships patrol in the China Sea? I doubt it.

I doubt any of the crew went down to the E/R to save themselves. Photos show the ship is completely burnt. Too much heat and no oxygen, They would have minutes left. Only possibility they jumped overboard. Sad.


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## nickwilson89

callpor said:


> Let's hope that most of those 31 missing crew have found shelter in the ER as NITC has stated.
> Reports of the fire continuing to burn for several weeks is not an overstatement? Remember the Yuyo Maru collision with Pacific Aries in 1974 in Tokyo Bay, where this combination carrier of LPG/Naptha burnt for 21 days before being bombed and sunk by the Japanese Navy.



An one engineer was found still alive in the ER control room after the fires had been put out Nick


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## jmcg

Sanchi had another catastrophic explosion today and has now sank.

So sad for all her crew - RIP all.

J(Gleam)(Gleam)


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## BobClay

Awful disaster:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-42680945


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## G0SLP

jmcg said:


> Sanchi had another catastrophic explosion today and has now sank.
> 
> So sad for all her crew - RIP all.
> 
> J(Gleam)(Gleam)


That was almost certainly going to be the outcome, once the fires got out of control.

As you say, RIP all.


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## sternchallis

*CF crystal*

Was not one of the merchants ships involved with the US destroyer mishaps called Crystal?????


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## ART6

nickwilson89 said:


> An one engineer was found still alive in the ER control room after the fires had been put out Nick


It's difficult or impossible to imagine what that poor guy went through in those days of the fires and explosions, wondering when the next blast would be the last one he heard coming. Having no idea what was going on up top but feeling the heat of the burning cargo and getting to the lowest level in the engine room to escape it, with no water and no food.

Was he in the ER control room? I doubt it, because in his situation that is not where I would be assuming that in that ship the control room was above the engine room and more exposed to the fires and explosions. I think I would head for the shaft tunnel on the principle that it might be less painful to drown than fry!


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## DeepSeaDiver

sternchallis said:


> Was not one of the merchants ships involved with the US destroyer mishaps called Crystal?????


Yes although the ship that collided with the USS Fitzgerald is named ACX CRYSTAL. A container ship IMO: 9360611

The ship that collided with Sanchi is named CF Crystal a Bulk Carrier IMO: 9497050


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## jmcg

CF Crystal owned and operated by a Chinese/Polish collaborative outfit. AIS has her anchored near Zhoushan - no doubt awaiting further inquiries.

Anyone care to comment on what is likely to happen next i.e. inquiry/arrest etc?


BW

J(Gleam)(Gleam)(Gleam)


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## richardwakeley

Amazingly, the salvage team which got aboard the tanker briefly, is reported to have recovered the VDR capsule. Whether the data has survived such a long fire remains to be seen. CF Crystal is alongside a pier at Zhoushan (Chusan). This vessel was apparently abandoned by the crew who were rescued by a fishing boat. So investigation of the VDR will depend on if the crew stopped the recording, or if G/Es continued supplying AC power. Data may have been overwritten.


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## jmcg

Richard

Interesting comment. Any idea where they abandoned CF Crystal. How thorough are the Chinese maritime authorities in matters of this magnitude.

Surely the OM of CF Crystal will be rounded up and interrogated.

BW

J(Gleam)(Gleam)


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## BobClay

richardwakeley said:


> Amazingly, the salvage team which got aboard the tanker briefly, is reported to have recovered the VDR capsule. Whether the data has survived such a long fire remains to be seen. CF Crystal is alongside a pier at Zhoushan (Chusan). This vessel was apparently abandoned by the crew who were rescued by a fishing boat. So investigation of the VDR will depend on if the crew stopped the recording, or if G/Es continued supplying AC power. Data may have been overwritten.


I saw some video on the news of those lads getting on board her. Looked like a very risky business.


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## richardwakeley

G'day BW.
I don't really know if CF Crystal was abandoned by ALL the crew. Just read in the papers that a Chinese fishing boat had rescued them, close to the collision site.
Also the photos showed her afloat with bow damage. All crew reported to be Mainland Chinese, so I suppose they are all available for enquiry. The VDR capsule and back-up PC card etc. will be undamaged, the only issue is if they failed to stop the recording and it has been overwritten. Vsl was built in 2011 so pre-dates the more recent VDR regulations for longer recording. Ships built recently now record 2 days on the Capsule and a float free EPIRB, and 30 days on the internal memory. But CF Crystal VDR will be the old 12 hour type.
RW


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## jmcg

Richard 

Thank you for the above information.

BW

J(Gleam)(Gleam)


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## nickwilson89

When can we expect some news of the current situation with the 'CF Crystal'? Are the PRC authorities suppressing information for fear that what comes out will reflect badly on their country? 

Since the collision occurred in International waters Japanese, Korean and American authorities should be forthcoming even if the Chinese prefer not to be. Nick


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## George Bis

R.I.P. to all onboard. Very gallant firefighters apparently boarded her not long before she sank.Sad their efforts weren't better rewarded. At least they came to no harm.
One slightly interesting twist is that she was flying the Panamanian flag. Sad that countries can't seem to live in harmony


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