A Panama-flagged cargo ship sank off the eastern coast of India on Saturday, leaving 22 of its 24 crew members missing and prompting a major search-and-rescue operation, the Indian Coast Guard said.
The Ocean Winner was carrying 72,100 tonnes of iron ore fines when it went down about 445km from Paradip port in Odisha, the coast guard said.
The crew comprised 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi. Two crew members were rescued from liferafts, while the search for the remaining 22 was under way.
The vessel had departed Paradip, a major port city on India’s east coast, on Thursday, carrying the iron ore cargo bound for Singapore, Indian government sources told Reuters. The ship lost contact with the maritime rescue authorities on Saturday before sinking in the Bay of Bengal.
The coast guard dispatched ships Varad, Anmol and Vijay to the area, alongside Indian Navy assets, to assist with the search. The two survivors were recovered from liferafts by the commercial vessel MT Isopos, according to Indian media reports.
The cause of the sinking was not immediately known. Indian authorities have not said whether the vessel encountered severe weather, mechanical problems or another difficulty before it went down.
Captain Alekha Charan Sahoo, deputy conservator of the Paradip Port Authority, said he was praying for the safety of the crew and hoping for the best.
The vessel's operator, Victory Star Group, contacted Indian authorities after communication with the ship was lost, according to Indian media reports. The ship's ownership could not immediately be independently established.
