The Indian Coast Guard and Navy launched a joint rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal after the Panama-flagged cargo vessel MV Ocean Winner sank 240 nautical miles off the Odisha coast on Saturday. Two Chinese seafarers were rescued from life rafts, while 22 crew members remain unaccounted for.
Sinking and Distress Signals in the Bay of Bengal
The Panama-flagged cargo ship sank on Saturday following a sudden loss of communication in the Bay of Bengal. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received word at 11.48 am on August 22 that communication with the vessel had been disrupted. The alert and the request for search-and-rescue assistance originated from Victory Star Group Co Ltd, the company operating the ship.
According to government sources, the vessel had set sail from India’s eastern Paradip Port at around 10.30 pm on August 20, carrying 1,700 tonnes of iron ore. Officials cited in the Indian Express stated that the ship was about 240 nautical miles (444 kilometers, 276 miles) off the coast of Odisha. While the Press Trust of India news agency reported the ship was about 276 miles (444 kilometers) from the Paradip coast of eastern Odisha state, Sarbananda Sonowal noted in a post on X that the ship was carrying iron ore from Paradip Port to China, whereas other government sources stated it was carrying iron ore to Singapore after departing from India’s eastern Paradip port on Thursday.
The two rescued Chinese seafarers said the vessel developed a list on Friday and sank within eight minutes, forcing crew to abandon ship, said Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India’s Maritime Administration. ‘Developing a list’ is a technical maritime term which means the vessel began tilting. The cause for this was not immediately known. The chances of finding survivors fell sharply after 12 hours, but rescuers were continuing the search, Jagannathan said.
Multinational Crew and Joint Rescue Operations
When the disaster unfolded, the vessel had 24 crew on board. Commandant Amit Uniyal, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard, confirmed that the crew consisted of 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals, and one Bangladeshi, though initial Coast Guard statements listed 18 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals, and one Bangladeshi.
In response to the emergency, three ships were deployed to conduct surface searches for the remaining crew members in a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy. The Coast Guard sent two vessels for the search-and-rescue mission from Sri Vijaya Puram, formerly known as Port Blair, according to Uniyal, and Coast Guard ships Varad and Anmol were sent to take part in the search and rescue effort, while a third vessel, Vijit, was also deployed from Sri Vijaya Puram to support the operation. MT Aisopos, a commercial vessel in the vicinity, was asked to help search for the ship in distress, and a senior IPS officer told PTI that other ships in the area have also been alerted and asked to help with the rescue effort. In a post on X, the Coast Guard said it had deployed three ships to conduct surface searches for the remaining crew members.
The two crew members from the cargo ship MV Ocean Winner were rescued late Saturday from life rafts. The two crew members were undergoing medical treatment while their ranks and identities were being verified, said Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, wrote in a post on X: All agencies are coordinating closely and actively doing search and rescue efforts. 2 survivors have been successfully rescued and are being given medical care; their rank and identity are currently being verified,
and added, My prayers for the safety of the remaining crew.
Port Authorities and Maritime Response
Captain Alekha Charan Sahoo, deputy conservator of the Paradip Port Authority, said he was praying for the safety of the crew on board and hoping for the best. The operation highlights the ongoing surface search efforts being conducted by the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy as they continue working to locate the 22 missing seafarers in the Bay of Bengal.
