A cargo ship carrying iron ore from Paradip port to China has reportedly gone missing after losing contact about 200 nautical miles off the coast, prompting the Indian Coast Guard and Navy to launch a search and rescue operation, officials said.
China-bound vessel with 24 crew members sinks 200 nautical miles off Odisha’s Paradip port (Representational)
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The Panama-flagged vessel, which left Paradip at about 10:30 p.m. on August 20, laden with 1700 tonnes of iron ore fines, was last reported to have been sailing about 200 nautical miles from the port when communication was lost, sources in Paradip Port Authority said.
The vessel was carrying 24 crew members, including 20 Chinese nationals, 1 Bangladeshi, and 3 Myanmar nationals, according to preliminary information. The exact status of the ship and its crew could not be independently confirmed immediately. The vessel’s name, IMO number, total crew strength and the circumstances surrounding the loss of contact have yet to be officially confirmed.
Deputy Inspector General of Police in Paradip unit of Indian Coast Guard, Sanjay Negi, said the search and rescue operations are being conducted by the Andaman and Nicobar unit. "The rescue teams will reach by tomorrow morning," he said. Other vessels operating in the vicinity have been alerted to assist in locating the ship and rescuing its crew.
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Some reports said the vessel may have sunk in deep waters and that crew members were afloat using life jackets and lifeboats while awaiting rescue.
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Some reports said the vessel may have sunk in deep waters and that crew members were afloat using life jackets and lifeboats while awaiting rescue.
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.
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Home/India News/China-bound vessel with 24 crew members sinks 200 nautical miles off Odisha’s Paradip port
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