India launches rescue mission as Panama-flagged cargo ship sinks off east coast

India initiated a rescue operation on Saturday after a Panama-flagged cargo ship, the Ocean Winner, sank off the eastern coast of the country, according to the Indian coastguard. The vessel was carrying a crew of 24, comprising 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar, and one from Bangladesh. Commandant Amit Uniyal, a spokesperson for the coastguard, revealed that the Indian maritime rescue agency had lost contact with the ship.

Two vessels were dispatched from Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly known as Port Blair, to conduct the search-and-rescue mission. The coastguard has managed to rescue two individuals who were on life rafts. The Ocean Winner was en route to Singapore, carrying iron ore, after departing from India’s eastern Paradip port on Thursday. The ship went down approximately 240 nautical miles (448km) from the port, but the specific cause of the sinking remains unknown.

Captain Alekha Charan Sahoo, deputy conservator of the Paradip Port Authority, expressed hope for the crew's safety and prayed for a positive outcome.