Twenty-two seafarers are missing in deep sea, while two have been rescued after a Panama-flagged cargo ship MV Ocean Winner carrying more than 72,000 tonnes of iron ore fines from Odisha to China sank in the Bay of Bengal, about 230 nautical miles off the eastern coast, officials said on Sunday.
Two of the 24 crew members aboard the ship were rescued from life rafts, while an intensive search is underway for the remaining seafarers, officials said.
The vessel left Paradip Port on Friday after loading iron ore fines and was bound for China. It reportedly sank in deep waters on Saturday after contact was lost. The crew comprised 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one Bangladeshi national, officials said.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Sri Vijaya Puram (formerly Port Blair) activated a search-and-rescue operation after receiving a distress alert and losing contact with the vessel.
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 SAR effort following a distress alert and loss of contact with MV Ocean Winner, nearly 230 NM South East off Paradip,” Coast Guard spokesperson Commandant Amit Uniyal said. “Diverted via international safety net, MT AISOPOS successfully rescued two survivors from life rafts.”
The rescued crew members were being brought to the mainland for medical treatment. “We are yet to verify their nationalities,” said the 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, 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.
Ports, shipping and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal expressed concern over the incident, saying 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 a social media post.
The MV Ocean Winner, built in 1998, had a deadweight capacity of about 72,928 tonnes, according to available vessel details.
The incident occurred during the southwest monsoon, when rough seas and heavy weather can pose risks to vessels carrying bulk cargoes.
Paradip is one of India’s major ports for bulk commodities and handles large volumes of iron ore, coal and other mineral cargoes. Bulk carriers regularly sail from the port to international destinations across the Bay of Bengal.
The sinking recalls earlier accidents involving bulk carriers carrying iron ore from Indian ports.
In September 2009, the Mongolian-flagged MV Black Rose sank a few kilometres from Paradip after developing a hole in its hull. The vessel was carrying about 23,847 tonnes of iron ore and 920 tonnes of furnace oil.
In another incident that year, the Vietnam-flagged MV Vinalines Mighty developed a serious stability problem while carrying about 24,500 tonnes of iron ore from Paradip and sent an SOS after beginning to tilt. A major accident was eventually averted.
In 2009, during the monsoon, the MV Asian Forest capsized after loading iron ore fines at Mangalore Port on India’s west coast. The vessel sank after cargo liquefaction caused it to lose stability.