IRNA – Iran said on Wednesday it will not speculate on fate of the missing crew who are still not accounted for after an Iranian oil tanker collided with a cargo vessel near China shores Saturday night.

'Probably the Iranian crew have been stationed in the bottom comaprtments of the ship which are cooler,' Hassan Qashqavi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for consular, parliamentary and expatriates affairs said.

He said the flames of fire subsided on Wednesday morning, expressing hope that the fire could be extinguished by sunset.

An Iranian tanker carrying condensates collided with a Chinese freight ship in East China coast on Saturday night, and the 32 members of the crew went missing. One body was found on Monday, and according to officials, the body belongs to an Iranian seaman.

Iran's Consul General in Shanghai Alireza Irvash has said that the operation to put out the fire of the Iranian tanker began early on Wednesday.

He said that the Iranian expert teams arrived in China's Shanghai Port to help the rescue operation.