A Chinese salvage team has recovered two bodies from a stricken Iranian oil tanker, that was still blazing a week after it caught fire and was left adrift following a collision in the East China Sea, state news agency Xinhua reports.
The four members of the salvage team wore respirators to board the Sanchi, where they found the two bodies on the deck.
They tried to get to the living quarters but were driven back by temperatures on the burning ship of around 89 Celsius, Xinhua said.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif by telephone that "as long as there is 1 per cent of hope, China will continue to make 100 per cent effort" in the rescue effort, according to a report on the ministry website.
The body of a mariner suspected to be from the ship was recovered on Monday and sent to Shanghai for identification. The rest of the crew, which included 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis, remains missing.
The salvage team recovered the voyage data recorder, or "black box" from the bridge, before leaving the vessel less than half an hour after boarding because the wind had shifted and "thick toxic smoke" had complicated the operation, Xinhua said.
