Cargo Ship Missing in Bay of Bengal: Cargo Ship Missing in Bay of Bengal, Coast Guard and Navy Launch Search

Cargo Ship Missing in Bay of Bengal: A cargo vessel travelling from Odisha’s Paradip Port to China has reportedly gone missing in the Bay of Bengal, triggering an extensive search by Indian maritime authorities.

The Panama flagged vessel left Paradip on August 20 at around 10:30 pm carrying about 1,700 tonnes of iron ore. According to port authorities, communication with the ship was lost after it travelled roughly 200 nautical miles from the Odisha coast.

There were reportedly 24 foreign crew members aboard the vessel. The crew included 20 Chinese nationals, one Bangladeshi national and three sailors from Myanmar. Authorities are working to establish the vessel’s exact status and determine what caused the communication systems to stop functioning.

Indian Coast Guard and Navy units have been deployed to search the area and locate the missing crew. Coast Guard teams from the Andaman and Nicobar region are also involved in the operation, according to officials.

Officials have not yet confirmed whether the vessel sank. Additionally, there are unconfirmed claims that some crew members may have left the ship using lifeboats or life jackets and may be waiting for help in the ocean.

According to reports, other commercial ships in the nearby waters have been notified and asked to help with the search. Rescue crews are still working to find the ship and get in touch with the crew.

Authorities are also collecting other information including the official name of the ship, its IMO registration and the circumstances of loss of communication. The top priority remains finding and rescuing the missing sailors.