China disputes claims of inadequate rescue of sunken Iranian tanker

Rescuers spray foam to extinguish flames on the stricken oil tanker SANCHI off the coast of east China's Shanghai, Jan. 12, 2018. (Xinhua)

China on Sunday disputed claims about inadequate efforts to save the crew of sunken Iranian tanker Sanchi.

The media should do their reports according to the authoritative information released by Chinese and Iranian governments, dismissing the fake words to avoid damaging the friendship between China and Iran, Chinese Ambassador to Iran Pang Sen said at a press conference in Tehran.

The Panama-registered oil tanker Sanchi, carrying 136,000 tonnes of light crude oil from Iran, collided with the CF Crystal, a Hong Kong-registered bulk freighter, about 300 kilometers east of the Yangtze estuary on Jan. 6. Thirty-two crew members of the tanker, 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis, were lost.

The ambassador said China has organized a dozen of domestic and foreign ships into the 24-hour comprehensive rescue operation.

He said the rescuers sent by Iranian government also got the professional equipment support from China.

China's rescue operation has always been open, transparent and public, Pang said.