Panama-flagged bulk carrier sinks off Odisha coast; 22 of 24 crew still missing

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier sank in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday about 240 nautical miles from Paradip, Odisha. Twenty-two of the 24 crew members remain missing.

MV Ocean Winner carried iron ore from Paradip Port and was bound for Singapore. The crew consisted of 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one Bangladeshi.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received a report of lost communication at 11:48 a.m. on Saturday. A commercial vessel, MT Aisopos, diverted to the area and recovered two survivors from separate liferafts around 8 p.m.

The Indian Coast Guard deployed ships Varad, Anmol and Vijit. The Indian Navy also joined the search. Other vessels in the vicinity were alerted.

The ship measured about 225 metres in length. It left Paradip on Friday. The cause of the sinking is not yet known. Communication was lost before the vessel disappeared from tracking systems.

Search operations continued on Sunday. Authorities have not released the identities of the two rescued crew members or further details on the missing.

Paradip is a major iron-ore export port on India’s east coast. Bulk carriers routinely sail the route to East and Southeast Asian destinations. The incident is one of several recent maritime losses in the Bay of Bengal under monsoon conditions.