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Indian Coast Guard continues search for 22 missing crew members after Panama-flagged cargo ship Ocean Winner sinks

The Indian Coast Guard has launched a search and rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal after the Panama-flagged cargo ship Ocean Winner sank suddenly on Friday. The vessel, which was carrying iron ore from Paradip Port to China, had 24 crew members on board. Two Chinese nationals were successfully rescued from life rafts on Saturday and are currently receiving medical care while their identities are being verified. Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India's Maritime Administration, stated that the ship developed a list and sank within eight minutes. While the exact cause of the sinking is not yet established, officials suggest that bulk liquefaction of the iron ore cargo may have caused the rapid capsizing. The remaining 22 crew members, which include 18 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals, and one Bangladeshi, are still unaccounted for. Three ships have been deployed to conduct surface searches for the survivors. Sarbananda Sonowal, India's Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, expressed concern over the incident and confirmed that all agencies are coordinating closely to locate the missing crew.

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