Search-and-rescue teams have found no trace of 22 crew members several days after a Panama-flagged cargo ship sank in the Bay of Bengal off India’s eastern coast, authorities said Tuesday.
The MV Ocean Winner sank Saturday about 444 kilometers (276 miles) from the coast of Paradip in Odisha. The vessel was carrying 24 crew members and was transporting iron ore to China. Two Chinese sailors were rescued after the ship sent a distress alert.
The Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy have continued searching the area using ships and aircraft. However, the operation has been complicated by exceptionally deep waters and the lack of visible wreckage.
Search teams have so far located an oil slick and two life rafts near the vessel’s last known position, but no additional survivors or confirmed remains have been found. The absence of wreckage has also made it more difficult for investigators to determine exactly where the ship went down and what caused the sinking.
The missing crew reportedly includes 18 Chinese nationals, three sailors from Myanmar and one Bangladeshi national.
Authorities have not yet established the cause of the disaster. The investigation is expected to examine the vessel’s final communications, its condition before sinking and the circumstances surrounding the distress alert.
The continuing search highlights the significant challenges of maritime rescue operations in the deep waters of the Bay of Bengal, while families of the missing crew members await further information.
Swifteradio.com
