Nine Chinese seamen have been confirmed dead after an oil tanker collided with another vessel in the Malacca Strait on Tuesday.

Malaysian Police say they found the bodies of the 9 seamen in the tanker.The Chinese embassy in Malaysia says the identity of the victims needs further confirmation.

The naphtha-transporting tanker collided with a bulk carrier on Tuesday night near Port Dickson in the Malacca Straits.

The tanker caught fire in seconds. 16 of the 25 Chinese seamen on board managed to escape. Two technicians from the Taiwan company that owns the ship have arrived at the scene. They are examining how seriously the vessel was damaged.

(CCTV.com August 23, 2009)