Search underway to trace 22 crew members after Panama-flagged ship sinks near Paradip

The Indian Coast Guard and the Eastern Naval Command have intensified search-and-rescue operations after a Panama-flagged bulk carrier carrying 24 crew members sank in the Bay of Bengal, around 230 nautical miles from the Paradip coast of Odisha on Saturday (August 22).

The MV Ocean Winner was carrying 20 Chinese, three Burmese, and one Bangladeshi citizen on board, news agency PTI reported citing officials in the know. Two crew members were rescued on Saturday.

The Coast Guard deployed three ships to conduct surface searches for the remaining crew members, it said in a post on X on Sunday.

Commercial vessel sent to help

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) diverted MT Aisopos, a commercial vessel that was in the vicinity, to search for the vessel or life rafts and extend help, and the vessel rescued two survivors from two life rafts around 8 pm Saturday, according to a Coast Guard spokesperson.

Also read: Panama-flagged cargo ship with 24 aboard sinks off Odisha port; 2 rescued

The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, also confirmed that two survivors had been rescued and their identities were being verified. “Deeply concerned by the unfortunate incident involving MV OCEAN WINNER off the coast of Odisha. The Panama-flagged vessel was carrying iron ore from Paradip Port to China,” Sonowal wrote 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. My prayers for the safety of the remaining crew,” he added.

Three Coast Guard vessels conducts search

The Eastern Naval Command, in an X post, said aircraft P8I “on surveillance sortie was rapidly re-deployed for Search & Rescue mission in coordination with #MRCC at Sri Vijay Puram”.

Also read: 9 including Bangladeshi nationals dead in Kolkata hotel fire, CM forms SIT

Coast Guard ships Varad and Anmol have been deployed for the search-and-rescue efforts, while Vijit has also been engaged from Sri Vijaya Puram to aid the operation, PTI quoted a Coast Guard official as saying.

The MV Ocean Winner, carrying 72,100 metric tonnes of iron ore from Odisha, reportedly left Paradip coast for Singapore at 10.42 pm on Thursday (August 20). It reportedly vanished from the tracking system shortly after leaving Paradip and later sank in the Bay of Bengal. The vessel was scheduled to reach Singapore on August 27.

(With agency inputs)