Indian rescuers search for 22 people missing after cargo ship sinks

India's coastguard and navy are conducting search-and-rescue operations off the eastern coast following the sinking of a Panama-flagged bulk carrier named Ocean Winner, which left 24 crew members on board. Two Chinese nationals have been rescued thus far, as reported by a senior official. According to Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India's Maritime Administration, the likelihood of finding survivors diminishes rapidly after the first 12 hours.

Rescuers are persistently searching the area, as emphasized by Sarbananda Sonowal, the federal minister for the ministry of ports, shipping, and waterways, in a social media post.

The missing crew members consist of 18 more Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals, and one Bangladeshi, as per India's coastguard. The Indian Navy is working in close coordination with the coastguard to locate the missing seafarers, as reported by the Navy on X. Two coastguard vessels from Sri Vijaya Puram, previously known as Port Blair, the capital of India's Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, have been deployed for the search-and-rescue operation, according to a coastguard spokesperson.

The Ocean Winner was transporting iron ore destined for China after departing from India's eastern Paradip port on Friday, as per an initial report by India's Maritime Administration. The vessel sank approximately 240 nautical miles from the port, as confirmed by government sources. The cause of the sinking remains undetermined.