Panama-flagged cargo ship sinks 240 nautical miles off Odisha coast
What's the story
A Panama-flagged cargo ship sank in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday, about 240 nautical miles from the Paradip coast in Odisha. The ship had left Paradip port at around 10:30pm with a cargo of iron ore fines when it lost contact about 200 nautical miles off the coast. The vessel was on its way to Singapore. It had reached Paradip on August 20 before departing for its destination.
Rescue efforts
Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard launch search and rescue operation
A senior IPS officer said they were still trying to ascertain how many crew members had been rescued so far.
"We are not sure how many...have been rescued," the officer told PTI.
Other vessels in the vicinity have also been alerted.
Deputy Inspector General of Police in Paradip unit of Indian Coast Guard, Sanjay Negi, said the search and rescue operations are being conducted by the Andaman and Nicobar unit.
"The rescue teams will reach by tomorrow morning," he said.
Crew information
Ship had 24 crew members, mostly Chinese nationals
Some reports suggest the vessel might have sunk in deep waters, with some crew members using life jackets and lifeboats while awaiting rescue.
The vessel had 24 crew members on board, most of whom were Chinese nationals.
The vessel was carrying 20 Chinese nationals, one Bangladeshi, and 3 Myanmar nationals, according to preliminary information.