Search Continues for 22 Crew After Bulk Carrier Sinks Off Odisha Coast
Two Chinese seafarers were rescued from liferafts after the Panama-flagged MV Ocean Winner sank while carrying iron ore from Paradip to China.
Paradip, India1 min read
Last updated
Indian Navy and Coast Guard units continued search operations on Monday for 22 missing crew members from a Panama-flagged bulk carrier that sank in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast.
The MV Ocean Winner, carrying about 72,000 tonnes of iron ore from Paradip Port, lost contact on Saturday. Two Chinese crew members were rescued from separate liferafts by a nearby commercial vessel, MT Aisopos. The remaining 22, including 18 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one from Bangladesh, are still missing.
Survivors told officials the ship developed a list and sank within eight minutes, forcing the crew to abandon ship. The vessel had departed Paradip on Thursday or Friday bound for China via Singapore.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram coordinated the response. Indian Navy P-8I aircraft located liferafts and an oil slick. Coast Guard ships Varad, Anmol and Vijit joined the surface search. Merchant vessels in the area were alerted to assist.
Chances of finding further survivors drop sharply after the first 12 to 24 hours in open water. Search efforts remained intensive more than 36 hours after the distress alert. The cause of the sinking has not been established.
Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expressed concern and confirmed the two survivors were receiving medical care. The incident marks one of the more serious maritime losses in the Bay of Bengal this year involving a large bulk carrier on the India-China iron ore route.
