The Ministry of Transport released the results of a joint investigation on Wednesday dealing with the sinking of an oil tanker in the East China Sea in January.
As leader of the accident investigation, China submitted the report to the International Maritime Organization on May 11. It was subsequently published online.
The Panama-registered Sanchi, which was owned by an Iranian company and carried 111,300 metric tons of highly flammable condensate oil, collided with a Hong Kong freighter, CR Crystal, on Jan 6 about 160 nautical miles east of Shanghai and caught fire. On Jan 14, the ship exploded and sank. The freighter was also severely damaged.
The report said neither of the vessels had maintained proper lookout, and neither correctly identified the risk of collision
The Sanchi had 32 crew members - 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis. Only three bodies have been found, the ministry said.
China signed an agreement on Jan 25 to investigate the accident with the other parties. The agreement was based on global shipping regulations and safety standards from the International Maritime Organization.
The report found agreement on the basic facts concerning the two ships - their crews, shipping companies, voyage information, characteristics of condensate oil, collision time, location and other details.
The report said neither of the vessels had maintained proper lookout, and neither correctly identified the risk of collision.
The report also set out the main points of difference between parties. Investigators from the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong believed that the Sanchi and CR Crystal were actually on a collision course for 18 minutes before the crash. They believed that lack of action on the part of the Sanchi, which should have kept out of the way, was responsible.
On the other hand, Iran and Panama thought that an adjustment in course made by the CR Crystal to bring the vessel back to its planned route 15 minutes before the collision was the direct cause of the accident.
The International Maritime Organization spoke highly of the practice of various stakeholders jointly conducting and signing an investigative report, saying it set an example for joint investigations of multiparty accidents in the future.
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