Odisha, August 23: A joint maritime search operation by the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy is actively scanning the sea off the Odisha coast where 22 foreign sailors remain missing after their Panama-flagged cargo vessel sank on its way to Singapore. Maritime teams managed to locate and save two survivors drifting on a life raft late Saturday night, hours after the iron-ore-laden MV Ocean Winner sank 240 nautical miles off Paradip.
The vessel lost radio contact on Saturday, triggering a swift coordinated response from Indian defense forces. Officials stated that the ship was manned by a 24-member crew consisting of 20 Chinese sailors, three Myanmar nationals, and one Bangladeshi citizen. Neighboring ships in the vicinity were alerted to support the rescue efforts as search teams focus on establishing positions and tracking floating survival gear.
An unnamed police officer affirmed that early reporting created confusion regarding the exact number of crew members retrieved in the initial phase. Investigative teams maintain that the cause of the disaster remains under investigation as authorities focus all available resources on locating the remaining crew members.
