Bhubaneswar, Odisha : A Panama-flagged cargo vessel carrying iron ore from Odisha’s Paradip Port towards China sank in the Bay of Bengal, triggering a major search-and-rescue operation by the Indian Coast Guard and Navy.

The vessel, MV Ocean Winner (IMO 9145530), was carrying 24 crew members—20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national. Communication with the ship was lost after it sailed from Paradip on August 20 with around 1,700 tonnes of iron ore fines on board.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at Sri Vijaya Puram received the distress alert on August 22 and immediately activated the Indian Search and Rescue Network. The tanker MT Aisopos was diverted to the area, where it managed to rescue two crew members from two life rafts at around 8 pm.

Indian Coast Guard vessels ICGS Varad, ICGS Anmol and ICGS Vijit have since been deployed to search for the remaining 22 crew members. Other vessels operating nearby have also been alerted and asked to assist.

The ship’s last known position was approximately 310 nautical miles northwest of the northern tip of the Andaman Islands, while the sinking was reported around 240 nautical miles from the Paradip coast.

Officials said the search is continuing across a wide stretch of the northern Bay of Bengal. The condition of the two rescued crew members and the circumstances surrounding the ship’s loss of communication have not yet been disclosed.

The search operation remains ongoing, and further updates are awaited.