India launches search for 22 missing after cargo ship sinks off Odisha coast

NEW DELHI: A Panama-flagged cargo vessel carrying 24 crew members sank off the eastern coast of India, with two sailors rescued from liferafts while Indian authorities continued a large-scale search for the remaining 22, officials said.

The Indian Coast Guard said it lost communication with the Ocean Winner on Saturday after the vessel ran into trouble in the Bay of Bengal. The ship was carrying 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national.

The vessel had departed from India’s eastern port of Paradip in Odisha on Thursday carrying iron ore bound for Singapore. Government sources said it sank about 240 nautical miles (444 kilometres) from Paradip.

The cause of the sinking was not immediately known.

Two crew members rescued

The Indian Coast Guard said two crew members were rescued from liferafts as search-and-rescue efforts continued for the other sailors.

The rescue operation was launched after the maritime authorities received information that communication with the vessel had been lost. Two Coast Guard vessels were initially dispatched from Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly known as Port Blair, to assist in the search.

Indian authorities subsequently expanded the operation, involving Coast Guard and naval assets as efforts continued to locate the missing crew members.

The Ocean Winner was carrying a substantial cargo of iron ore when it sank. Indian media reports said the vessel was around 225 metres long and had been carrying more than 72,000 tonnes of iron ore.

Vessel lost contact before sinking

The vessel’s disappearance from maritime tracking systems preceded the confirmation that it had sunk, according to reports. Authorities received information about the loss of communication and subsequently sought assistance from other vessels operating in the area.

A merchant vessel was diverted to assist in the search, with two survivors later found aboard liferafts.

The incident occurred far offshore in the Bay of Bengal, presenting additional challenges for rescuers as they searched for survivors and liferafts.

The Indian Coast Guard said the search operation would continue, with the area of operations potentially being expanded depending on prevailing sea conditions and other factors.

Officials hopeful for survivors

Captain Alekha Charan Sahoo, deputy conservator of the Paradip Port Authority, expressed hope that more members of the crew would be found and rescued.

The authorities have not yet determined what caused the *Ocean Winner* to sink. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is expected to follow once the immediate search-and-rescue operation has been completed.

The 22 missing crew members include 19 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals, as one Chinese crew member and the Bangladeshi sailor were among the two people rescued, according to Bangladeshi media reports.

The Indian Coast Guard and Navy remained engaged in the search on Sunday as rescuers raced to locate the missing sailors in the waters off Odisha.