22 missing, two rescued after cargo ship sinks in Bay of Bengal

China has joined India’s search for 22 crew members missing after a Panama-flagged cargo ship sank in the Bay of Bengal.

Chinese authorities were assisting India's search for 22 crew members missing after a Panama-flagged cargo vessel sank in the Bay of Bengal last week, the Indian Coast Guard said.

The MV Ocean Winner, carrying 24 crew members including 20 Chinese nationals, was sailing from Paradip port in the eastern Indian state of Odisha to Singapore when it sent a distress alert on Saturday.

The vessel reported trouble around 700 kilometres (435 miles) east of the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, prompting a rescue operation by Indian authorities.

Despite locating an emergency beacon linked to the vessel, rescuers have yet to find any additional survivors, Indian Coast Guard spokesman Commandant Amit Uniyal said in a statement late Tuesday.

"Search and rescue efforts for the missing crew members of MV Ocean Winner have been further augmented in coordination with MRCC Beijing," Uniyal said, referring to China's Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.

A lifeboat from the vessel has been spotted, but no survivors were found, he said.

Local media reports said two Chinese vessels had joined the search operation.