India Launches Rescue Operation As Bulk Carrier Sinks Off East Coast

By Nidhi Verma, Saurabh Sharma and Jatindra Dash

Aug 22 (Reuters) – India’s maritime rescue agency lost communication on Saturday with a Panama-flagged cargo vessel that sank off the coast of eastern India, the Indian Coast Guard said.

The vessel had 24 crew on board, including 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi, according to Commandant Amit Uniyal, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard sent two vessels for the search-and-rescue mission from Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly known as Port Blair, Uniyal said.

The Coast Guard has rescued two people from life rafts. The search-and-rescue