Major Search Operation Underway as Panama-Flagged Cargo Ship Sinks in Bay of Bengal

New Delhi: A large-scale search and rescue operation is currently underway in the Bay of Bengal following the sinking of the MV Ocean Winner, a Panama-flagged cargo vessel that disappeared while navigating off the coast of Odisha.

Union Minister for Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, confirmed the incident on Sunday, stating that all relevant maritime agencies have been mobilized to locate the missing crew members.

"Deeply concerned by the unfortunate incident involving MV Ocean Winner off the coast of Odisha," Sonowal wrote in a post on X. "All agencies are coordinating closely and actively conducting search and rescue efforts. My prayers for the safety of the remaining crew."

The Incident

The bulk carrier, which was transporting a cargo of iron ore from Paradip Port to China, lost contact with maritime authorities late on Saturday, August 22. According to vessel tracking data from MarineTraffic, the MV Ocean Winner was a 225-meter-long ship. It is believed to have sunk more than 200 nautical miles off the Odisha coast.

The vessel had a total of 24 crew members on board, including 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar, and one from Bangladesh.

Rescue Efforts

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) triggered an emergency response after receiving a distress signal from Victory Star Group Co Ltd. The International Safety Net (ISN) was activated, and the merchant vessel MT Aisopos was diverted to the site. Thanks to these efforts, two survivors were successfully rescued from liferafts at approximately 8:00 PM on Saturday.

Minister Sonowal confirmed that the survivors are receiving medical attention and that authorities are in the process of verifying their identities and ranks.

To bolster the ongoing mission, the Indian Coast Guard has deployed three vessels—ICGS Varad, ICGS Anmol, and ICGS Vijit—to scour the area for the remaining 22 missing crew members. Despite the search and rescue operations continuing, the conditions at sea remain challenging, and officials have not yet provided further updates on the status of the remaining personnel.

The cause of the vessel’s sudden disappearance and subsequent sinking remains under investigation as authorities focus their primary efforts on locating the rest of the crew.