Sanchi Burning Tanker

Three days after the Sanchi collided with another ship on the border of Shanghai, China, this 900-foot tanker is still in flames stranding the crew on the ship. 10-foot terrifying waves and dangerous storms adding on to the fire make it nearly impossible to rescue the crew. Worst of all, Chinese officials announced that the oil tanker is in danger of exploding and sinking the ship taking everyone with it.

The crash occurred on 1/6/18 and was only 160 miles (260 kilometers) off the coast of Shanghai. This took place in the Yangtze River Delta and the cause of the crash is yet to be found. When the Sanchi was carrying its oil from Iran to South Korea it collided with a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship CF, Crystal. The cargo ship was carrying grains from the U.S. and was going to deliver it to East China.

The Sanchi was still on fire Monday morning and rescuers had been trying to get the crew off the ship but have had to fall back each time due to the toxic and thick smoke. No survivors have been spotted among the 32 crew members on the Sanchi but 21 Chinese nationals were saved from the other freighter ship. The U.S Navy sent military aircrafts to look for the missing crew. China has also sent out several ships to carry out search and rescue operations while South Korea has sent coast guard and helicopters to help.

Specialists are especially anxious because of the oil that the Sanchi is carrying. The oil is condensate, which is a highly toxic and more flammable than regular crude oil. This dangerous version of crude oil is almost completely colorless and odorless making it nearly impossible to detect. According to BBC News, Simon Boxall of the National Oceanography Center at the University of Southampton stated that, “If she sinks with a lot of cargo intact, then you have a time bomb on the seabed which will slowly release the condensate.” If the condensate spills in the East China Sea than the effect will be lethal to the waterfront’s wildlife. East China’s ocean is the largest fishing ground in China where most mackerels and croakers (China’s main fish source) live.

Even if the ship doesn’t sink there will be an environmental impact on China. China’s government has found evidence of a large-scale oil spill, 40-70 percent of the oil will evaporate in a couple of hours. But, the fumes for the evaporation will travel into China and cause its residents to provoke health problems and start coughing and having asthma. The Shanghai Maritime Bureau explained of how the evaporated oil could be considered a poisonous gas and that it is very harmful to the rescue workers on the field. Where the crash took place was considered to be a new “Bermuda Triangle” because of how dangerous it was. A minimum of 33 ships that were recorded randomly disappeared from the same place in 2016.