Cargo Ship sinks off India, rescue mission underway

The maritime agency lost contact with the vessel, Ocean Winner, on Saturday while it was sailing toward Singapore carrying iron ore. The ship had

NEW DELHI: Indian authorities have launched a major search-and-rescue operation after a Panama-flagged cargo vessel sank off the eastern coast, leaving 24 crew members missing, according to the Indian Coast Guard.

The maritime agency lost contact with the vessel, Ocean Winner, on Saturday while it was sailing toward Singapore carrying iron ore. The ship had departed from Paradip port in eastern India on Thursday and reportedly sank around 240 nautical miles from the port.

The crew comprised 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi, Indian Coast Guard spokesperson Commandant Amit Uniyal said.

Two Coast Guard vessels were dispatched from Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly known as Port Blair, to assist in the search operation. Rescue teams have so far saved two crew members found aboard life rafts, while efforts continue to locate the remaining seafarers.

Authorities have yet to determine what caused the vessel to sink. Captain Alekha Charan Sahoo, deputy conservator of the Paradip Port Authority, expressed hope that more crew members would be found safely as the rescue operation continues.

The incident has prompted an urgent maritime response, with Indian authorities coordinating efforts to locate the missing sailors in the waters off the country’s eastern coast.