Ship sinking survivors identified as Chinese nationals, search intensifies for missing 22

Officials said rough sea conditions in Bay of Bengal were hampering the search operation.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Coast Guard spokesperson Commandant Amit Uniyal said the two crew members, rescued with the help of life rafts, have been brought to the Coast Guard ship and are under medical care. They are being brought to the mainland, he added.

Confirming that they were Chinese nationals, Uniyal said, “Initially, they were in shock when they were rescued but now their health condition is stable and they are under medical care.” Their rank is being verified, he added. “All efforts are being made to trace others,” said the Coast Guard spokesperson.

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said all agencies are coordinating closely and actively involved in search and rescue efforts.

“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. All agencies are coordinating closely and actively doing search and rescue efforts,” Sonowal wrote on X. “2 survivors have been successfully rescued and are being given medical care… My prayers for the safety of the remaining crew,” he added.

A Defence Ministry spokesperson said, “Sustained monitoring and focused aerial search by Indian Navy P8I led to the successful detection of two floating liferafts and oil slick near the reported position. Currently, two survivors have been safely rescued… Search efforts continue.”

The cargo ship, carrying more than 72,000 tonnes of iron ore from Odisha to China with a stop at Singapore, left Paradip Port on Friday early morning. It had 24 crew members aboard, two of whom were rescued by a commercial vessel in the vicinity on Saturday.

The reasons behind the mishap are yet to be ascertained. According to officials, 20 of the 24 crew members are Chinese nationals, three are from Myanmar and one is from Bangladesh.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) initiated a swift search and rescue operation following a distress alert and loss of contact with MV OCEAN WINNER.

The Merchant vessel was built in 1998 and had a deadweight capacity of about 73,000 tonnes, according to available details.

Earlier incident
In September 2009, Mongolian ship MV Black Rose, carrying 24,000 tonnes of iron ore, sank 3 km off the coast, hours after it anchored at the Paradip port.

Officials said due to a technical snag, the vessel tilted and sank. All crew members, except the chief engineer of the vessel, were rescued. The body of the chief engineer, a Ukrainian national, was found a week later.

Paradip is a major port in the country that handles large volumes of cargo, especially mineral products from Odisha, headed to far-off destinations.