A massive search and rescue mission is currently underway in the Bay of Bengal after the Panama-flagged cargo vessel MV Ocean Winner sank last week. The ship, which was traveling from the Indian port of Paradip to Singapore, issued a distress signal roughly 700 kilometers east of Visakhapatnam. Of the 24 individuals on board—comprising mostly Chinese nationals along with crew members from Myanmar and Bangladesh—only two have been rescued so far, leaving 22 people missing.

Indian authorities are now working in close coordination with Beijing’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre to expand the search radius. Although rescue teams have successfully located an emergency beacon and a discarded lifeboat from the vessel, no further survivors have been recovered at this time. While the exact circumstances that led to the ship going under remain a mystery, Chinese vessels have officially joined the Indian Coast Guard in the ongoing efforts to locate the remaining crew.