Cargo Ship Sinks Suddenly, 22 Crew Missing

Twenty-two crew members are missing after the Panama-flagged cargo ship Ocean Winner sank off the east coast of India. Rescue teams are continuing the search, while two of the 24 crew members, both Chinese nationals, have been rescued.

Director General of the Indian Maritime Administration Shyam Jagannathan said the two surviving sailors reported that the ship began listing on Friday and sank within just eight minutes.

“The two sailors said the ship began listing and sank in eight minutes, forcing the crew to abandon ship,” Jagannathan told Reuters.

According to Jagannathan, the chances of finding survivors typically drop sharply after the first 12 hours. However, search and rescue operations are being continued by various Indian agencies.

India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said all relevant agencies continue to coordinate in the operation.

“All agencies are coordinating closely and actively carrying out search and rescue efforts,” he said via a social media post.

The Indian Coast Guard said the 22 missing crew members comprise 18 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national. The Indian Navy also stated it has been coordinating closely with the coast guard to locate the sailors.

Two coast guard vessels from Sri Vijaya Puram, previously known as Port Blair, have also been deployed to strengthen search and rescue operations around the site of the sinking.

Ocean Winner was known to be carrying iron ore to China after departing from Paradip Port on India’s east coast on Friday. According to initial reports from the Indian Maritime Administration, the ship sank approximately 240 nautical miles, or around 444 kilometres, from the port.

The cause of the Ocean Winner’s sinking remains unknown. Indian authorities are continuing the search for the missing crew while gathering information to determine the cause of the incident.