Search continues for 22 after bulk carrier sinks off India

India's Coast Guard and Navy are continuing search-and-rescue efforts off the eastern coast following the sinking of a Panama-flagged cargo vessel, the Ocean Winner, on Friday. The ship, which was carrying 24 crew members, sank within eight minutes after developing a list, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel, according to Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India's Maritime Administration.

Two Chinese seafarers were rescued from the wreckage, but 22 others remain missing. The Indian Coast Guard has stated that the chances of finding survivors diminish significantly after 12 hours, yet the search continues. The Indian Navy is working closely with the Coast Guard to locate the remaining crew members, according to a post on X. The Coast Guard has deployed two vessels from Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly known as Port Blair, to assist in the search-and-rescue operation.

The Ocean Winner was en route to China, carrying iron ore, after departing from India’s eastern Paradip port on Friday. The cargo ship sank approximately 240 nautical miles from the port, as reported by government sources. The cause of the sinking remains undetermined.