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Two Chinese sailors were rescued on Thursday after a cargo ship carrying iron ore sank off the Odisha coast, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said.

The China-bound Panama-flagged vessel had lost contact about 200 nautical miles from the coast on Aug. 20, triggering a search-and-rescue operation by the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy.

The two survivors, identified as Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe, were rescued from a liferaft on Aug. 22. They were brought safely to Paradip aboard Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Varad on Thursday after receiving medical care during the journey.

Two Chinese Survivors Handed Over In Paradip

ICG CPRO Commandant Amit Uniyal said the two sailors were handed over to authorised representatives of the shipping company after reaching Paradip.

The handover took place in the presence of officials from the Bureau of Immigration and local police. The Coast Guard said both sailors had received medical attention onboard while being transported to the Odisha port.

Meanwhile, search operations for the remaining crew members are continuing at sea and from the air.

Indian Coast Guard, Navy Continue Search

Uniyal said coordinated sea and air search operations remain underway to locate the missing crew members.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Sri Vijaya Puram is coordinating with the various assets involved in the ongoing rescue operation, the Coast Guard said.

The vessel had departed Paradip at around 10:30 pm on Aug. 20 after loading 1,700 tonnes of iron ore fines and was bound for China.

24 Crew Members Were On Board

Sources said the vessel was carrying 24 crew members when it left Paradip. The crew included 20 Chinese nationals, one Bangladeshi national and three Myanmar nationals.

The ship subsequently lost contact roughly 200 nautical miles off the Odisha coast, prompting Indian authorities to begin search-and-rescue efforts.

The rescue of the two Chinese sailors provides a breakthrough in the operation, but authorities continue to search for the other crew members whose whereabouts remain unknown.