New Delhi, August 23: Two crew members have been rescued after the Panama-flagged cargo vessel MV Ocean Winner sank in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast, while search and rescue operations are underway for the remaining crew members.
Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said all agencies are coordinating in the search operation. The two rescued crew members are receiving medical care, while their identities and ranks are being verified.
The vessel was carrying 24 crew members, including 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one from Bangladesh. It was transporting iron ore from Paradip Port to China.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) received information on August 22 about the loss of communication with the vessel and a request for search and rescue assistance from Victory Star Group Co Ltd.
Following the distress alert, MRCC activated the International Safety Net and diverted merchant vessel MT AISOPOS to search for MV Ocean Winner and its liferafts. Two survivors were later rescued from separate liferafts at around 8 pm.
The Indian Coast Guard has deployed ICGS Varad and ICGS Anmol for the operation, while ICGS Vijit was deployed from Sri Vijaya Puram to assist in the search.
The vessel reportedly disappeared from the tracking system after leaving Paradip Port and later sank more than 200 nautical miles off the Odisha coast.
According to MarineTraffic, MV Ocean Winner is a Panama-flagged bulk carrier measuring 225 metres in length and 32.26 metres in width.
Search operations are continuing to locate the remaining crew members.