Cargo ship sinks off India with 22 missing

A cargo ship en route from India's east coast to Singapore sank off the eastern Indian coast on Saturday, leaving 22 out of 24 crew members missing, according to the Indian Coast Guard. The Ocean Winner, a Panama-flagged vessel, was transporting 72,100 tonnes of iron ore fines when it disappeared around 445 kilometers from Paradip port in the state of Odisha.

The crew consisted of 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one from Bangladesh. Two crew members were rescued from liferafts, while the search for the remaining 22 continues. The ship departed Paradip on Thursday, carrying the iron ore cargo destined for Singapore. Contact with the Ocean Winner was lost on Saturday before it sank in the Bay of Bengal.

The Indian Coast Guard dispatched three ships and naval assets to assist with the search operation. The two survivors were recovered by another commercial vessel. The cause of the sinking remains unknown, and Indian authorities have not yet determined whether the vessel encountered severe weather, mechanical issues or another problem.

Captain Alekha Charan Sahoo, deputy conservator of the Paradip Port Authority, expressed his prayers for the crew's safety and hoped for the best outcome. The ship's operator, Victory Star Group, alerted Indian authorities after losing communication with the vessel, though its ownership could not be independently verified at the time.