Search continues for 22 crew after bulk carrier sinks off India's east coast

India's Coast Guard and Navy are continuing search-and-rescue operations off the eastern coast after a Panama-flagged cargo vessel, the Ocean Winner, sank with 24 crew members aboard. Two Chinese nationals have been rescued so far.

The rescued seafarers reported that the vessel developed a list on Friday and sank within eight minutes, forcing the crew to abandon ship. Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India’s Maritime Administration, told Reuters that while the chances of finding survivors generally fall sharply after 12 hours, rescuers are persisting in their efforts.

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The vessel developed a list on Friday and sank within eight minutes, forcing crew to abandon ship.

Twenty-two crew members remain missing. According to the Indian Coast Guard, these include 18 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals, and one Bangladeshi. The Indian Navy is coordinating closely with the Coast Guard to locate the remaining crew. The Coast Guard has deployed two vessels to the area for the search operation.

The Ocean Winner was carrying iron ore bound for China, having departed from India’s Paradip port on Friday. The cargo ship sank approximately 240 nautical miles from the port. The cause of the sinking is not yet known.

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The Indian Navy is closely coordinating with the Coast Guard to locate the remaining crew.