A Bangladeshi sailor was among two crew members rescued after a Panama-flagged bulk carrier carrying 24 sailors sank in the Bay of Bengal, around 240 nautical miles off Paradip, Odisha, India, on Saturday.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said the two sailors were rescued alive from liferafts, while a search and rescue operation is underway for the remaining 22 crew members.
Indian media outlet India Today reported the incident on Sunday.
The vessel, MV Ocean Winner, was carrying 20 Chinese, three Myanmar and one Bangladeshi national, according to the ICG.
The ship had last anchored at Paradip Port and was bound for Singapore with a cargo of iron ore.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) of the Indian Coast Guard received a report from the company operating the vessel at around 11:48am after contact with MV Ocean Winner was lost. The company requested an immediate search and rescue operation.
Following the report, the MRCC directed a nearby commercial vessel, MT Isopos, to search for the missing vessel and its liferafts.
At around 8pm, MT Isopos rescued two sailors from two liferafts, the ICG said. Their physical condition was not immediately known.
The Indian Coast Guard and Navy have launched a joint operation to locate the remaining sailors. ICG vessels Barad and Anmol have been deployed, while another vessel, Vijit, was dispatched from Sri Vijaya Puram to strengthen the search.
Authorities are also coordinating with other vessels in the area to locate the remaining sailors and liferafts.
The cause of the vessel’s sinking has not yet been confirmed.
Further details on the rescued sailors and the condition of the remaining crew are awaited as the search operation continues.