Subscription Form

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier, MV Ocean Winner, sank in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday, about 240 nautical miles from Paradip in India’s Odisha state, according to Indian maritime authorities.

The vessel was carrying 24 crew members  20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national,  along with a cargo of iron ore.

Communication with the vessel was lost before the sinking, prompting Indian authorities to activate a maritime search-and-rescue operation.

Following the alert, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram diverted the nearby commercial tanker MT Aisopos to the area to search for the vessel and possible liferafts.

Two crew members were found in liferafts and rescued at around 8 p.m. on Saturday. The two survivors were later identified as Chinese nationals.

The remaining 22 crew members are still missing, including 18 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national.

The Indian Coast Guard and Navy are conducting a coordinated search operation across the area.

Coast Guard vessels have been deployed for surface searches, while an Indian Navy P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft was redirected to the area. The aircraft located liferafts and helped coordinate the rescue operation with the nearby tanker.

Other commercial vessels operating in the region have also been alerted and asked to assist in the search.

MV Ocean Winner had departed Paradip Port carrying iron ore fines. The cargo has been reported at around 72,000 tonnes.

Initial maritime information indicated the vessel was sailing towards Singapore, while a later Indian maritime report described the cargo as China bound. The difference in reported destination has not been independently clarified.

The exact cause of the sinking remains unknown.

According to India’s Maritime Administration, the two rescued crew members told officials that the vessel developed a list before sinking within about eight minutes.

A list means the vessel began tilting to one side. The rapid sinking would have given the crew very little time to respond.

Authorities have not yet established what caused the vessel to list. There is no confirmed finding at this stage linking the sinking to weather, cargo conditions, mechanical failure or structural damage.

An investigation will be required to determine the circumstances that led to the vessel’s sinking.

The Indian Coast Guard and Navy continue to search for the 22 missing crew members, with aircraft, naval assets, Coast Guard ships and commercial vessels involved in the operation.

The incident occurred hundreds of kilometres offshore, making the search particularly challenging.

As of today, two crew members had been rescued and 22 remained unaccounted for. The search-and-rescue operation remains underway in the Bay of Bengal.