Two rescued after bulk carrier sinks off India

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier, the MV Ocean Winner, sank off the eastern coast of India on Saturday. The vessel, carrying 72,100 tonnes of iron ore fines, was headed to Singapore from Paradip port in Odisha state. According to the Indian Coast Guard, the ship had 24 crew members on board, comprising 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals, and one Bangladeshi.

The ship lost contact with maritime rescue authorities on Saturday before sinking in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 240 nautical miles from Paradip port, or 445km. The Indian Coast Guard and Navy launched a joint search-and-rescue operation, dispatching several vessels and a patrol aircraft to the area. Two crew members were rescued from liferafts by a nearby commercial vessel, MT Aisopos, or MT Isopos, according to different reports.

The cause of the sinking was not immediately known, and Indian authorities have not said whether the vessel encountered severe weather, mechanical problems, or another difficulty before it went down. The search for the remaining 22 crew members is ongoing, with the Coast Guard and Navy continuing their efforts to locate and rescue those still missing.

Brief written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia, Dawn, Gulf News, The National UAE, The National Business — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.