MV Ocean Winner Sinks Off Odisha: 22 Crew Still Missing, Search Intensifies
Indian agencies are racing against time to locate 22 crew members of the Panama-flagged MV Ocean Winner, which sank off Odisha coast on Saturday.
A large-scale search and rescue operation is underway in the Bay of Bengal for 22 crew members of the merchant vessel MV Ocean Winner, which sank off the Odisha coast late Saturday. Over 150 Indian Coast Guard personnel and a naval surveillance aircraft have been deployed in the joint effort, with no breakthrough reported so far.
The Panama-flagged vessel, carrying over 72,000 tonnes of iron ore from Odisha to China, went down approximately 230 nautical miles from the Paradip coast. Of the 24 crew members on board, two Chinese nationals were rescued on Saturday itself.
Coast Guard officials said the search area has been expanded as per standard procedure, but rough sea conditions and high tides in the deep waters of the Bay of Bengal are hampering visibility and complicating the operation. Three Coast Guard ships and at least two merchant vessels are assisting in the search, alongside a P8I surveillance aircraft from the Eastern Naval Command.
The two rescued crew members are expected to be brought to Paradip Port within a day or two, with further decisions to be made after top-level consultations. The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi is in touch with Indian officials to monitor the situation.
The cause of the sinking has not yet been ascertained. Of the 24 crew, 20 are Chinese nationals, three are from Myanmar, and one is from Bangladesh. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal stated on Sunday that all agencies are coordinating closely in the rescue efforts.