Search Continues for 22 Crew After Bulk Carrier Sinks Off Odisha

The fates of 22 crew members from the Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner remain unknown more than 30 hours after the vessel sank in the Bay of Bengal roughly 230 nautical miles off the Paradip coast of Odisha.

Two Chinese nationals were recovered alive from separate life rafts by a nearby commercial vessel late on 22 August. The Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard have sustained search-and-rescue efforts with ships and aircraft since then.

MV Ocean Winner, built in 1998 and measuring 225 metres in length, departed Paradip Port on the evening of 20 August carrying approximately 72,200 tonnes of iron ore fines. Its next intended port was Singapore. Communication was lost on 21 August. Survivors reported that the ship developed a list and sank within about eight minutes.

The crew consisted of 20 Chinese, three Myanmarese and one Bangladeshi nationals. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Sri Vijaya Puram activated the international safety net and diverted vessels in the area after receiving a distress alert from the ship’s operator.

Indian Navy P-8I maritime patrol aircraft detected floating life rafts and an oil slick near the last reported position. Three Coast Guard ships and additional naval assets remain on station. The cause of the sudden sinking has not been confirmed, though the rapid list and nature of the cargo are consistent with possible liquefaction of iron ore fines.

Paradip is one of India’s primary ports for bulk mineral exports. The vessel was near the end of its service life and had recorded deficiencies in earlier inspections according to shipping databases.