Rescuers recover 2 bodies from Iran oil tanker

A Chinese rescue team has recovered two bodies from a still-burning Iranian oil tanker a week after it collided with a Chinese freighter vessel and caught fire in the East China Sea.

The bodies were discovered on the deck of the Panamanian-registered Sanchi oil tanker Saturday morning by the four-member rescue team wearing respirators, Chinese news outlets reported.

The rescuers further attempted to gain access to the living quarters of the ship — left adrift since it collided with freighter CF Crystal — but were prevented from doing so by the high temperatures of nearly 89 degrees Celsius on the blazing tanker.

According to reports, the rescue team was able to remain aboard the ship for less than 30 minutes and succeeded in retrieving its data recorder as well as video recordings, or “black box.”

Meanwhile, the cause of the collision is still a mystery.