Two lives have been pulled back from the Bay of Bengal, but 22 crew members remain unaccounted for after the Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner sank off Odisha, prompting India to mount an intensified search-and-rescue operation.

The Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy have launched a joint operation following the sinking of the vessel, which was carrying 24 crew members, including 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national.

So far, two survivors have been rescued from separate liferafts, while there are no confirmed reports of deaths or injuries among the remaining crew.

The vessel, which was carrying around 72,100 metric tonnes of iron ore fines from Odisha to Singapore, sank around 240 nautical miles from the Paradip coast. Its last port of call was Paradip, while Singapore was its scheduled destination.

The rescue effort began after the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received information at 11:48 am on Saturday about the loss of communication with MV Ocean Winner. The company associated with the vessel also sought immediate search-and-rescue assistance.

Following the alert, the MRCC activated the International Safety Net and diverted MT Aisopos, a commercial vessel operating in the vicinity, to search for the ship and any liferafts.

The vessel subsequently located and rescued two crew members from two liferafts at around 8 pm.

The Coast Guard has since deployed ICGS Varad and ICGS Anmol for the search, while ICGS Vijit has sailed from Sri Vijaya Puram to reinforce the operation. Other vessels operating in the area have also been alerted and asked to assist in locating the missing seafarers.

With 22 people still missing, the focus has now shifted entirely to locating more survivors in the vast search area.

The identities and medical condition of the two rescued crew members have not been immediately disclosed.

The circumstances surrounding the vessel's loss of communication and subsequent sinking remain unclear. Authorities have not yet established what caused the 225-metre bulk carrier to go down.

For now, the rescue operation continues, with Indian maritime agencies racing against time to find the remaining 22 crew members.