NEW DELHI — India’s Coast Guard and Navy continued a joint search-and-rescue operation on Sunday after a Panama-flagged cargo ship sank in the Bay of Bengal with 24 crew members on board.
Two Chinese sailors from the MV Ocean Winner were rescued from life rafts on Saturday night, while 22 crew members remain missing.
According to the Indian Coast Guard, those still unaccounted for include 18 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national.
The rescued sailors told Indian authorities that the vessel began listing on Friday and sank within approximately eight minutes, forcing the crew to abandon the ship.
Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan said the likelihood of finding survivors usually declines sharply after the first 12 hours. However, Indian authorities were continuing the operation in the hope of locating the remaining crew.
Three ships have been deployed to conduct surface searches, with the Indian Navy coordinating closely with the Coast Guard. A commercial vessel operating in the area, MT Aisopos, was also asked to assist.
Two Coast Guard vessels were dispatched from Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly known as Port Blair, to support the rescue effort.
The Ocean Winner was transporting iron ore after departing from Paradip Port in India’s eastern state of Odisha. It was reportedly sailing towards China when it sank about 240 nautical miles—or approximately 444 kilometres—from the port.
The vessel first issued a distress alert before maritime authorities lost contact with it.
The cause of the sinking remains unknown, and authorities have yet to announce whether weather conditions, mechanical failure or a shift in cargo contributed to the incident.
India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, said the two rescued crew members were receiving medical treatment as the operation to locate the remaining sailors continued. (Source: SCMP)
