22 missing after Panama‑flagged cargo ship sinks in Bay of Bengal; two rescued

Two crew members were rescued and 22 remain missing after a Panama‑flagged cargo vessel sank in the Bay of Bengal last week, the Indian Coast Guard said.

What happened

The vessel, MV Ocean Winner, carrying 24 crew members including 20 Chinese nationals, three crew from Myanmar and one from Bangladesh, sent a distress alert on Saturday while en route from Paradip in Odisha to Singapore.

Indian authorities reported the ship had reported trouble about 700 kilometres (435 miles) east of Visakhapatnam, prompting a rescue operation.

Search and rescue

The Indian Coast Guard said two people were rescued and 22 crew members remain unaccounted for. Rescuers found an emergency beacon linked to the vessel but have not located additional survivors, the coast guard said.

“Search and rescue efforts for the missing crew members of MV Ocean Winner have been further augmented in coordination with MRCC Beijing,”

said Indian Coast Guard spokesman Commandant Amit Uniyal in a statement late Tuesday.

A lifeboat from the vessel has been spotted, but no survivors were found, the coast guard added. Local media reported that two Chinese vessels had also joined the search operation.

Cause and ongoing efforts

The cause of the sinking was not clear, the coast guard said. Authorities have sought assistance from China’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Beijing as the search continues.

Summary

• Vessel: MV Ocean Winner (Panama‑flagged)
• Crew aboard: 24 (20 Chinese, 3 Myanmar, 1 Bangladesh)
• Rescued: 2
• Missing: 22
• Location of distress: ~700 km east of Visakhapatnam
• Assistance: Indian Coast Guard coordinating with MRCC Beijing; local media said Chinese vessels joined search