22 missing, 2 rescued after China-bound cargo ship sinks off Odisha coast; rescue ops underway

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like 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 Sunday, adding that an intensive search is underway for the remaining seafarers. The China-bound vessel, MS Ocean Winner, left Paradip Port in Odisha on Friday and reportedly sank on Saturday. (HT Photo)The China-bound vessel left Paradip Port on Friday. It reportedly sank in deep waters on Saturday, 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. Also Read I China-bound vessel with 24 crew members sinks 200 nautical miles off Odisha’s Paradip port 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. Also Read I 2 rescued, 22 missing after China-bound iron ore vessel sinks off Odisha coast 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. 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. Also Read I 2 rescued, search on for 22 after Panama-flagged cargo ship sinks in Bay of Bengal | latest updates 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. Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More