The surviving crew of the 63,300-dwt Feng De Hai (built 2015) is free of coronavirus, an official of Guangzhou-based Cosco Shipping Bulk told TradeWinds today.
But the cause of death of the ship's late second officer remains unknown as results are still pending from an autopsy at Istanbul.
The body of the second officer was removed from the ship this weekend while it was under harbourmaster's quarantine, but the ultramax was later cleared to sail and now awaits a berth at Dneprobugsky in Ukraine. It is laden with cargo from Guinea.
TradeWinds reported earlier today that a Feng De Hai officer had died of coronavirus. A circular issued by an Istanbul port agent first reported that the deceased officer was the ship's master, but sources in China soon suggested that this was mistaken.
Some reports have suggested the second officer fell victim to malaria.
The surviving crew has now been given a clean bill of health, according to the Cosco Shipping Bulk official. He spoke on condition of anonymity, but TradeWinds understands he was chosen as a contact person on behalf of the company's Guangzhou based dry bulk arm.
"The rest of the crew was negative," said the official, referring to results of a test for the SARS CoV-2 virus that causes the Covid-19 disease. "The other crew members were suffering no symptoms of illness - no fever and no cough."
The ship was allowed to transit the Bosphorus on 28 March.
"Everything is back under normal operation," said the Cosco Shipping Bulk spokesman. "The body was brought on shore in Turkey and the conclusions from the autopsy examination are not yet ready."
The Cosco Shipping Bulk spokesman referred further questions about the cause of the second officer's death to local health officials in Turkey.
