Rescue operations on after cargo ship sinks off Odisha coast
What's the story
A Panama-flagged cargo vessel, MV Ocean Winner, sank in the Bay of Bengal off Odisha's Paradip coast on Saturday. The ship was carrying 24 crew members, 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one from Bangladesh. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Indian Navy have launched a joint rescue operation.
Rescue operation
Indian Navy, Coast Guard launch joint rescue operation
The ship was en route to Singapore with a cargo of iron ore when it sank around 240 nautical miles from the Paradip coast.
The ICG's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Sri Vijaya Puram received an alert at 11:48am from a company associated with MV Ocean Winner about losing communication with the vessel.
The company sought search-and-rescue assistance after the communication loss.
Survivor recovery
Survivors rescued from liferafts
Following the alert, MRCC diverted commercial vessel MT Aisopos, which was operating in the vicinity, to search for MV Ocean Winner or liferafts and provide assistance.
The MT Aisopos successfully rescued two survivors from two liferafts around 8:00pm. However, their condition is not immediately known.
The ICG Varad and Anmol ships have also been deployed for the search operation, while Vijit has been dispatched from Sri Vijaya Puram to bolster efforts.
Search efforts
Search continues for remaining crew members
The MV Ocean Winner had a total of 24 crew members on board when it sank: 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar, and one from Bangladesh.
The search continues for the remaining 22 crew members.
The exact cause of the sinking is still unknown, and further details about the ship's condition before it sank are awaited.