Indian rescuers search for 22 people missing after cargo ship sinks

India’s Coast Guard and Navy continued search-and-rescue operations off the eastern coast over the weekend after a Panama-flagged bulk carrier carrying 24 crew sank, with two Chinese nationals rescued, a senior official confirmed.



The two Chinese seafarers said the vessel, called the Ocean Winner, had developed a list on Aug 21 and sank within eight minutes, forcing the crew to abandon ship, director general of India’s Maritime Administration, told Reuters.



Reports confirmed the chances of finding survivors generally fall sharply after 12 hours, but rescuers were continuing the search.



The missing crew members include 18 more Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi.



The Indian Navy is closely coordinating with the Coast Guard to locate the remaining crew, the Navy said in a post on X.