New Delhi: The search-and-rescue operations continued for 22 missing crew members after a Panama-flagged bulk carrier sank off India’s eastern coast.
The Ocean Winner was carrying 24 crew members when the vessel went down. Two Chinese nationals were rescued, while the remaining crew members were still missing as the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy continued the operation.
According to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the missing crew include 18 Chinese nationals, 3 Myanmar nationals and 1 Bangladeshi national. Rescue teams have expanded efforts across the area in an attempt to locate survivors from the sunken vessel.
The Indian Navy has been coordinating closely with the ICG during the operation. The Coast Guard also deployed 2 vessels from Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly known as Port Blair, to support the search in waters off India’s eastern coast.
The Ocean Winner was departed Paradip port on India’s eastern coast on August 21. The Panama-flagged vessel was carrying iron ore bound for China when the sinking occurred.
An initial report prepared from India’s Maritime Administration stated that cargo ship sank about 240 nautical miles from Paradip. The location becomes the focus of the continuing search operation as maritime authorities work to trace the missing crew.
The cause of the sinking was not immediately known. Authorities have not provided further details about what led to the vessel going down or the conditions on board before the incident.
The search now remains focused on finding the 22 missing crew members. Indian maritime agencies continue coordinating rescue resources as the operation enters a critical period, with the prospect of finding survivors declining as more time passes.
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