Indian Coast Guard, Navy continue search for 22 crew missing after bulk carrier sinks

Jerusalem Post/World NewsThe two rescued Chinese seafarers said the vessel developed a list on Friday and sank within eight minutes, forcing crew to abandon ship, the director general of India's Maritime Administration said.Follow us on GoogleAn Indian coast guard ship passes by Hope Town Island, located near Sri Vijaya Puram, the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on March 20, 2026.(photo credit: R. Satish BABU / AFP via Getty Images)ByREUTERSAUGUST 23, 2026 08:44India's Coast Guard and Navy continued search-and-rescue operations off the eastern coast on Sunday after a Panama-flagged cargo vessel carrying 24 crew sank, with two Chinese nationals rescued, a senior official said.The two rescued Chinese seafarers said the vessel developed a list on Friday and sank within eight minutes, forcing crew to abandon ship, Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India's Maritime Administration, told Reuters.Jagannathan said the chances of finding survivors generally fall sharply after 12 hours, but rescuers were continuing the search.Twenty-two crew members remain missing from the Ocean Winner, including 18 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals, and one Bangladeshi, according to the Indian Coast Guard.The Indian Navy is closely coordinating with the Coast Guard to locate the remaining crew, the Navy said in a post on X.INS Khanjar and INS Kora, the missile corvettes of Indian navy are pictured at the Khidderpore dock, during navy week celebrations in Kolkata on November 28, 2025. (credit: DIBYANGSHU SARKAR / AFP via Getty Images)The Coast Guard has sent two vessels from Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly known as Port Blair, for the search-and-rescue operation, a Coast Guard spokesperson said.Ship sinks over 200 miles from port for unknown reasonsThe Ocean Winner was carrying iron ore bound for China after departing from India's eastern Paradip port on Friday, according to an initial report prepared by India's Maritime Administration.The cargo ship sank about 240 nautical miles from the port, according to government sources.The cause of the sinking was not immediately known.Follow us on Google