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Burning tanker off Chinese coast 'in danger of exploding' Burning tanker off Chinese coast 'in danger of exploding'
(about 1 hour later)
There are fears of an environmental disaster in the East China Sea as a tanker continues to leak oil two days after colliding with a cargo ship.There are fears of an environmental disaster in the East China Sea as a tanker continues to leak oil two days after colliding with a cargo ship.
Chinese officials have told state media the vessel is in danger of exploding and sinking. Chinese officials have told state media the Sanchi is in danger of exploding and sinking.
Rescuers attempting to reach the site were being beaten back by toxic clouds, the transportation ministry has said.Rescuers attempting to reach the site were being beaten back by toxic clouds, the transportation ministry has said.
The crew, 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis, remain missing despite international rescue efforts.The crew, 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis, remain missing despite international rescue efforts.
The extent of the spill and environmental hazard are still unclear. The vessel was still ablaze on Monday morning. Where, how and when did the accident happen?
The tanker had been carrying an ultra-light form of oil known as condensate which in the case of a spill can be more dangerous for the environment than regular crude. The Panama-flagged Sanchi was bringing its cargo of oil from Iran to South Korea when it was in collision with the Hong Kong-registered freighter CF Crystal, carrying grain from the US, in the East China Sea, about 260km (160 miles) off the coast of Shanghai.
"Condensate is more likely to evaporate and mix in with the water," John Driscoll of JTD Energy Services told the BBC. The collision, in the mouth of the Yangtze River Delta, occurred on Saturday evening.
"It also can be colour- and odourless - so it is a lot harder to detect, contain and clean up." The exact cause of the collision is not yet known.
Though Panama-registered, the tanker Sanchi belongs to an Iranian company. What exactly is the Sanchi carrying?
The Sanchi was carrying 136,000 tonnes of Iranian oil when the vessel collided with a Chinese cargo ship on Saturday night, 165 nautical miles east of Shanghai. The tanker, run by Iran's leading oil shipping operator, has on board 136,000 tonnes of condensate, which is an ultra light version of crude oil.
The 21-strong crew of the Chinese ship were rescued. That's about one million barrels and at current prices is worth roughly $60m (£44m).
China has sent several ships to carry out search-and-rescue operations while South Korea helped with a coast guard ship and a helicopter. The Sanchi will also be carrying a certain amount of heavy - and toxic - shipping fuel.
The US Navy had also sent a military aircraft to help with the rescue efforts. Condensate is very different from the black crude that is often seen in oil spills.
It is highly toxic, low in density and considerably more explosive than regular crude oil.
So is it bad for the environment?
It is potentially worse than heavy crude.
Condensate remains liquid only under certain conditions.
John Driscoll of JTD Energy Services told the BBC: "Condensate is more likely to evaporate or mix in with the water.
"It also can be colour- and odour-less, so it is a lot harder to detect, contain and clean up."
The environmental impact of the spill may be mitigated by the distance of the collision from the nearest coastline.
How is the rescue going?
The Sanchi was still ablaze on Monday morning.
There is no word on the fate of the 32-strong crew, although the 21 Chinese nationals on the grain freighter were rescued.
China has sent several ships to carry out search-and-rescue operations, while South Korea helped with a coast guard ship and a helicopter.
The US Navy also sent a military aircraft to help with the rescue efforts.