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Ocean Winner sinks off Odisha
A Panama-flagged bulk carrier, MV Ocean Winner, sank in the Bay of Bengal off India’s eastern coast near Paradip, Odisha, with 24 crew members aboard and two Chinese sailors later rescued while 22 remained missing.
“Ocean Winner sank in the Bay of Bengal, about 230 nautical miles off the coast of Paradip”
The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy launched a joint rescue operation after the vessel sank, and the search intensified after the ship’s Automatic Identification System signal disappeared in the middle of the Bay of Bengal at 4:45 pm GMT on Friday.
Reuters, citing Shyam Jagannathan, director general of India’s Maritime Administration, said the vessel developed a list on Friday and sank within eight minutes, forcing the crew to abandon ship.
The ship had loaded iron ore at Paradip and departed for Singapore on Thursday, and the Indian Coast Guard said the 22 missing crew members include 18 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi.
Sonowal: survivors aided
Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on X that all agencies were engaged in search and rescue efforts and that two survivors had been successfully rescued, with medical care provided and their rank and identity being verified.
Sonowal said, "Deeply concerned by the unfortunate incident involving MV OCEAN WINNER off the coast of Odisha," and added that "Twp survivors have been successfully rescued and are being given medical care."
Hindustan Times reported that the Indian Coast Guard intensified search and rescue operations after the bulk carrier sank on August 22, with the ICG and Indian Navy launching a joint rescue operation and nearby commercial ships alerted to assist.
The Hindustan Times account also said MT Aisopos rescued two crew members from separate liferafts at around 8 pm on Saturday, while the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre diverted MT Aisopos to support the operation.
Search continues for 22
The Indian Coast Guard said 22 crew members remained missing after the sinking, including 18 Chinese nationals, three Myanmarese and one Bangladeshi, as the search continued off Odisha’s coast.
“Twenty-two crew members remain missing from the Ocean Winner”
Reuters quoted Shyam Jagannathan as saying the chances of finding survivors generally fall sharply after 12 hours, but rescuers were continuing the search for the remaining crew members.
The Jerusalem Post said the Indian Coast Guard and Navy continued search-and-rescue operations off the eastern coast on Sunday after two Chinese nationals were rescued, and it described the cause of the sinking as not immediately known.
Hindustan Times reported that the ICG shared a post on X stating that MRCC initiated a swift SAR effort after a distress alert and loss of contact with MV OceanWinner, and that MT AISOPOS successfully rescued 02 survivors from life rafts while three ships were deployed for surface searches.