India launches rescue operation as bulk carrier sinks off east coast

By Nidhi Verma, ‌Saurabh Sharma and ​Jatindra ​Dash

Aug 22 (Reuters) - India's maritime rescue agency lost communication on Saturday with a ‌Panama-flagged cargo vessel that sank off the ⁠coast of eastern India, the Indian Coast Guard said.

The ‌vessel had 24 crew ‌on board, including 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi, according to Commandant ​Amit Uniyal, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard sent two vessels ⁠for the search-and-rescue mission from Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly known as ​Port Blair, Uniyal said.

The Coast Guard has rescued two people from life rafts. The ​search-and-rescue mission is under ‌way for the seafarers on the vessel, the agency said.

The Ocean Winner ⁠was carrying iron ore to Singapore after departing from India's eastern Paradip port on Thursday, according ⁠to government sources, adding that the ship sank around 240 ​nautical miles from the port.

The cause of the sinking was unknown.

Captain Alekha Charan Sahoo, deputy conservator of the ‌Paradip Port Authority, said he was praying for the safety of ‌the crew on board and hoping for the ⁠best.

(Reporting by Nidhi ‌Verma, Saurabh Sharma, ​Jatindra Dash and Disha Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Rod ‌Nickel)

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