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

India has initiated a rescue operation following the sinking of a Panama-flagged cargo ship off its eastern coast, according to the Indian coastguard. The vessel, named Ocean Winner, was carrying iron ore destined for Singapore and had 24 crew members aboard, including 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar, and one Bangladeshi, as reported by Commandant Amit Uniyal, a coastguard spokesman.

The coastguard dispatched two vessels from Sri Vijaya Puram, previously known as Port Blair, to initiate the search-and-rescue mission, Uniyal added. So far, two individuals have been rescued from life rafts, and efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining crew members. The Ocean Winner departed from India’s eastern Paradip port on Thursday, heading towards Singapore.

Government sources reveal that the ship sank approximately 240 nautical miles (448km) from Paradip port. The precise cause of the sinking remains undisclosed. Captain Alekha Charan Sahoo, deputy conservator of the Paradip Port Authority, expressed hope and faith for the crew's safety, urging for a successful resolution to the rescue mission.