Iran's consul general in Shanghai said the bodies of three crew members of the Iranian oil tanker Sanchi which sank off east coast of China will be transferred home on Wednesday morning.

Talking to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Alireza Irvash said on Sunday that the bodies of three Iranian victims of the accident will be flown to Imam Khomeini International Airport after going through legal procedures.

Carrying over 136,000 tons of gas condensates, the Iranian oil tanker collided with a Chinese freight ship in East China coast on January 6 and exploded. Bodies of only three out of 32 members of the crew were found before the tanker sank on January 14.

The 30 Iranians and the two Bangladeshi sailors, who were crew members, were reportedly killed due to inhaling toxic gases. The size of the fire and the volume of smoke hampered the rescue mission and made it impossible to approach the vessel.

Iran, China, Panama and Hong Kong signed an agreement to jointly investigate sinking of the Iranian oil tanker in China's eastern waters to find out the reason behind the incident by decrypting the two ships black boxes.

The black box of the Iranian sunken oil tanker was opened in the presence of representatives from the involved countries on January 23.

 

News ID 189020