Panama-flagged cargo ship sinks off Odisha coast; 22 crew members missing

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier sank in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday about 240 nautical miles from Paradip on the Odisha coast, leaving 22 of its 24 crew members missing.

The vessel, MV Ocean Winner, was carrying iron ore fines loaded at Paradip and bound for Singapore. Its crew consisted of 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one from Bangladesh.

Indian Coast Guard and Navy assets launched a search-and-rescue operation after the ship lost contact. Three Coast Guard ships, Varad, Anmol and Vijit, were deployed. A commercial tanker in the area, MT Aisopos, recovered two survivors from liferafts late Saturday.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received the first alert after the operator, Victory Star Group, reported loss of communication. The last known position was near East Island Light.

The ship had left Paradip on Thursday or Friday, according to different official accounts. No cause for the sinking has been released. Search efforts continue for the remaining crew.

Iron ore shipments from Odisha ports form a steady part of India's bulk export trade. The incident adds to the operational risks faced by multinational crews on aging bulk carriers in the Bay of Bengal during the monsoon season.