A man observes a container ship in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, India, on May 6, 2026. — Reuters
– The ship sank approximately 240 nautical miles from Paradip port.
– The Panama-flagged cargo vessel went down in just eight minutes.
– Rescued Chinese crew members report that the vessel began listing on Friday before sinking swiftly, leading the crew to abandon ship.
India’s Coast Guard and Navy are continuing search-and-rescue efforts off the eastern coast following the sinking of a Panama-flagged cargo ship carrying 24 crew members. Two Chinese nationals have been rescued so far, according to a senior official.
The two rescued Chinese seafarers mentioned that the ship developed a list on Friday and sank within eight minutes, which compelled the crew to evacuate quickly, said Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India’s Maritime Administration.
Jagannathan noted that the chances of locating survivors decrease significantly after 12 hours but emphasized that rescue operations are ongoing.
Twenty-two crew members are still missing from the Ocean Winner. The missing include 18 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar, and one from Bangladesh, according to the Indian Coast Guard.
The Indian Navy is coordinating closely with the Coast Guard to find the remaining crew members. A Navy spokesperson stated that two vessels have been dispatched from Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) for rescue efforts.
The Ocean Winner was transporting iron ore destined for China after departing from India’s eastern Paradip port on Friday, based on initial reports from India’s Maritime Administration.
The ship sank roughly 240 nautical miles from Paradip, as per government sources.
The cause of the sinking remains unknown at this time.