Key points
- Two crew members rescued from liferafts
- Indian Navy and Coast Guard lead search
ISLAMABAD: A Panama-flagged cargo ship sank in the Bay of Bengal off India’s eastern coast, leaving 22 of its 24 crew members missing, Indian authorities said on Sunday.
The MV Ocean Winner sank about 240 nautical miles (445 kilometres) off Paradip in Odisha after losing contact with maritime rescue authorities.
Two of the ship’s crew rescued
Two crew members were rescued from separate liferafts by the merchant vessel MT Aisopos, according to India’s Coast Guard and Navy.
The vessel had departed Paradip on Thursday carrying iron ore and was bound for Singapore. The crew comprised 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one from Bangladesh.
The nationalities of the two rescued sailors were not immediately confirmed.
India’s Navy and Coast Guard have launched a joint search-and-rescue operation, deploying ships and a naval aircraft to locate the missing crew.
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Other vessels operating in the area have also been alerted and asked to assist.
The cause of the sinking has not yet been established. India’s maritime authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The sinking occurred in the Bay of Bengal, one of the world’s busiest maritime regions, where commercial shipping routes connect South and Southeast Asia.
