Bhubaneswar, Sept. 1 -- The week-long search for 22 crew members missing after the Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner sank in the Bay of Bengal has been called off, with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) reportedly presuming the seafarers dead.

The 28-year-old vessel sank on August 22, shortly after leaving Paradip Port, Odisha with around 72,000 tonnes of iron ore bound for China via Singapore. Of the 24 crew members on board, only two Chinese nationals were rescued from a life raft.

According to a report by The New Indian Express, the search involved ICG ships, Indian Navy aircraft and vessels, merchant ships and two Chinese vessels. An empty lifeboat and an emergency beacon linked to...