Search and rescue operation continues for missing crew after cargo ship sinks off India
Quick Look
- A search-and-rescue operation is underway for 22 missing crew members after the Panama-flagged cargo ship Ocean Winner sank off the coast of Odisha, India.
- Two Chinese nationals have been rescued, while 18 Chinese, three Myanmar, and one Bangladeshi remain missing.
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Why It Matters
The Panama-flagged cargo ship Ocean Winner was transporting iron ore from Paradip port to Singapore when it sank approximately 240 nautical miles off the coast of Odisha.
A search-and-rescue operation was continuing on Sunday after a cargo ship sank off the eastern coast of India.
The Panama-flagged vessel Ocean Winner had 24 crew on board when it sank on Friday. Two Chinese nationals were rescued on Saturday, with 22 people still unaccounted for, the Indian Coast Guard said.
The two rescued Chinese seafarers said the vessel developed a list on Friday and sank within eight minutes, forcing crew to abandon ship, said Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India's Maritime Administration.
'Developing a list' is a technical maritime term which means the vessel began tilting. The cause for this was not immediately known.
Search on for missing crew members
The chances of finding survivors fell sharply after 12 hours, but rescuers were continuing the search, Jagannathan said.
The missing crew members include 18 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi, according to the Indian Coast Guard. In a post on X, it said it had deployed three ships to conduct surface searches for the remaining crew members.
According to officials cited in the Indian Express, the ship was about 240 nautical miles (444 kilometers, 276 miles) off the coast of Odisha.
According to ship-tracking app MarineTraffic, the Ocean Winner was carrying iron ore from Paradip port in Odisha to Singapore.
Open Questions
- What caused the vessel to develop a list and sink?
- What is the current status of the 22 missing crew members?
