22 Missing, 2 Rescued After China-bound Cargo Ship Sinks off Odisha Coast
Chennai:
Port Wings News Network:
Twenty-two seafarers went missing while two have been rescued after a Panama-flagged cargo ship carrying more than 72,000 tonnes of iron ore from Odisha to China sank in the Bay of Bengal, about 230 nautical miles off the eastern coast, officials aware of the matter said on 23 August, adding that an intensive search is underway for the remaining seafarers.
According to a news report in leading English daily Hindustan Times, the China-bound vessel left Paradip Port on 22 August. It reportedly sank in deep waters on 23 August, the officials said. The crew comprised 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one Bangladeshi national.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) launched a search-and-rescue operation after receiving a distress alert and losing contact with the vessel.
Investigation and rescue efforts
According to officials, Indian Coast Guard ships and a Navy maritime surveillance aircraft have been deployed, while merchant vessels in the area have been alerted to assist in the search.
“MRCC Sri Vijaya Puram initiated a swift search and rescue effort following a distress alert and loss of contact with MV Ocean Winner at 11.48 am Saturday, nearly 230 nautical miles south east off Paradip,” Coast Guard spokesperson Commandant Amit Uniyal said.
“The coordination centre then diverted the tanker MT Aisopos, which rescued two Chinese survivors from two liferafts at about 8pm. Coast Guard ships Varad and Anmol were assigned to the search, and Vijit sailed from Sri Vijaya Puram.”
A report prepared by the Directorate of Maritime Administration said the MV Ocean Winner developed a list and sank within about eight minutes. The account was based on information shared by the two survivors—Chen Jianhe and Pan Tonglai—with Capt. Silviu Vllad, a Romanian national, the master of MT Aisopos, the report said.
The Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), Kolkata, has been tasked with conducting a Preliminary Investigation (PI) into the incident, the report added.
Officials of Eastern Naval Command said that a retasked Boeing P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (P-8I) found rafts that were not in one cluster about 435 miles east of Visakhapatnam and cued MT Aisopos onto the rafts. The navy said it continued to coordinate closely with the Coast Guard and MRCC Sri Vijaya Puram in the effort to locate the remaining crew.
Cause of sinking and crew members rescued so far
Director General of Shipping Shyam Jagannathan said the two who were rescued are Chinese nationals. “The survival odds fall sharply after 12 hours,” he said. Uniyal said rough sea conditions in the Bay of Bengal were hampering the search. The rescued crew members were being brought to the mainland for medical treatment. “We are yet to verify their nationalities,” said the Coast Guard spokesperson. He said rough sea conditions in the Bay of Bengal were hampering the search.
The cause of the sinking has not been established. Authorities are expected to examine whether adverse weather and sea conditions, problems involving the cargo, mechanical failure or other factors contributed to the incident.
The loss of the vessel from tracking systems before it sank is also likely to form part of the investigation.
Ports, shipping and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal said all agencies were coordinating the search and rescue efforts.
“Deeply concerned by the unfortunate incident involving MV OCEAN WINNER off the coast of Odisha,” Sonowal said in an X post.
The MV Ocean Winner, built in 1998. Ocean Winner Shipping Co Ltd of Fuzhou, Fujian, China, is listed as the registered owner, commercial manager, and International Safety Management manager of this single hull.
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