A Panama-flagged cargo vessel, MV Ocean-Winner, sank in the Bay of Bengal around 240 nautical miles off the Odisha coast, triggering a massive search and rescue operation.
The vessel had sailed from Paradip Port at 10:30 pm on August 20, bound for Singapore with 1,700 tonnes of iron ore. Onboard were 24 crew members—20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar, and one from Bangladesh.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Sri Vijaya Puram received an alert at 11:48 am on August 22 after contact with the vessel was lost. The distress request was made by Victory Star Group Co. Ltd, which operates the ship.
Following the alert, MRCC activated the Indian Search and Rescue network and diverted merchant tanker MT AISOPOS to the suspected location. By 8 pm, the tanker rescued two crew members from separate liferafts.
The Indian Coast Guard and Navy launched a coordinated operation to trace the remaining 22 crew members. Coast Guard ships ICGS Varad and ICGS Anmol were deployed, while ICGS Vijit sailed from Sri Vijaya Puram to join the search. Other merchant vessels in the area were also alerted to assist.
The fate of the missing crew remains uncertain as search operations continue. The exact cause of the sinking is yet to be established.
