Ship sinks in Bay of Bengal

An Indonesian cargo ship has sunk after hitting a sand bank in the Bay of Bengal, raising fears of pollution.

The Sigitika Biru was carrying soda ash - a material used in making detergents - and oil.

The 22 crew members were rescued by a passing ship.

The Sigitika Biru hit a sandbank around 50km from the West Bengal port city of Haldia.

The ship was travelling from the western Indian port of Portbandar to Chittagong in Bangladesh with 20,000 tons of soda ash and 150 tons of oil.

Cyclone

News reports indicated the ship was already leaking some of its oil and ash into the bay.

The ship, built in 1981, started taking on water late on Thursday.

The crew contacted Haldia port officials and the ship started to sink after midnight.

Coast guard officials could only locate the vessel at daybreak.

Shipping minister Shatrugan Sinha told Star News TV: "There will certainly be some environmental impact. We are making efforts to ensure that the damage is minimal."

The ship was negotiating a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal when it hit the sand bank.