An underwater robot has found a gaping hole in the hull of the sunken NITC suezmax Sanchi.

The probe located a triangular gash 35 metres long in the 164,000-dwt vessel (built 2008), caused by the collision with a CoscoCS bulker earlier this month, according to China's ministry of transport.

Salvage teams are continuing to try to prevent further leaks from the ship, which was carrying 136,000 tonnes of condensate, a Shanghai port authority source told Yahoo.