Large-Scale Search Underway After Panama-Flagged Cargo Ship Sinks Off Odisha Coast

BHUBANESWAR — A major 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 went down approximately 240 nautical miles off the coast of Odisha.

The vessel, which had departed from Odisha’s Paradip Port at roughly 10:30 p.m. on August 20, was en route to Singapore carrying a cargo of 1,700 tonnes of iron ore.

According to officials, the alarm was raised on August 22. At 11:48 a.m., the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received an urgent distress signal from the Victory Star Group Co Ltd—the firm operating the ship—reporting that all communication with the vessel had been severed.

The ship was carrying a crew of 24 individuals, comprising 20 nationals from China, three from Myanmar, and one from Bangladesh. As of now, the status of the crew remains largely unknown, with officials expressing caution regarding the number of survivors.

"We are not sure how many of the crew members have been rescued," a senior IPS officer told reporters.

In response to the emergency, the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy have launched a joint multi-agency rescue mission. The Coast Guard has deployed its ships Varad and Anmol to lead the search efforts, while a third vessel, Vijit, was dispatched from Sri Vijaya Puram to bolster the operation. Furthermore, maritime authorities have broadcast alerts to other vessels in the vicinity, requesting that they assist in the search for any survivors or debris from the sunk cargo ship.

The authorities are currently monitoring the situation closely as the search continues in challenging deep-sea conditions. Further details are expected to emerge as the operation progresses.

(With inputs from PTI)