Industry Odisha Bureau, Aug 23: A Panama-flagged cargo vessel carrying iron ore has sunk in the Bay of Bengal. The incident occurred approximately 240 nautical miles from India’s eastern coastline in Odisha. The Indian Coast Guard activated a major search and rescue operation immediately afterwards. The vessel, MV Ocean Winner, was carrying 24 crew members when communication ceased abruptly.
The cargo ship departed Paradip Port at approximately 10:30 p.m. on August 20. It was transporting roughly 1,700 tonnes of iron ore fines toward Singapore at the time. The vessel’s last reported position placed it around 200 nautical miles from Paradip Port. Officials said maritime authorities remained uncertain about the vessel’s exact circumstances before sinking.
The crew composition included 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi crew member. The vessel’s operator, Victory Star Group Co Ltd, holds responsibility for coordinating the rescue effort. The International Maritime Organization number for MV Ocean Winner is identified as 9145530. Authorities emphasised that all crew nationalities would require coordination with multiple international maritime partners.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received the distress alert at 11:48 hours on August 22. The MRCC immediately activated India’s Search and Rescue Network across the northern Bay region. Officials coordinated emergency response measures with nearby merchant vessels operating in the maritime zone. The vessel’s operator had specifically requested immediate maritime assistance from all available resources.
The Indian Coast Guard deployed three dedicated vessels to the incident location rapidly. ICGS Varad, ICGS Anmol and ICGS Vijit were mobilised to continue the search operations. ICGS Vijit sailed directly from Sri Vijaya Puram to reinforce ongoing maritime rescue efforts. The Coast Guard coordinated surface search operations across an extensive area of open water.
A commercial tanker, MT Aisopos, was already operating nearby when the emergency occurred. The vessel diverted toward the incident area immediately following the MRCC activation notice. MT Aisopos successfully recovered two survivors from separate life rafts at approximately 2000 hours. The commercial tanker transferred the rescued individuals to maritime authorities for immediate medical evaluation.
The vessel’s last known position was located approximately 310 nautical miles from Andaman Islands. Search operations faced significant logistical challenges given the remote location in open water. Authorities continued coordinating additional assets to expand the search across broader maritime regions. Officials indicated that rescue efforts would continue throughout the night without interruption.
Authorities have not yet established the circumstances that led to the vessel’s sinking. Maritime officials stated that details regarding the cause of the maritime incident remain unknown. No information has been released concerning the condition or identities of the two survivors. Officials emphasised that all available details would be released once verification procedures were complete.
The incident underscores the continuing operational challenges facing maritime rescue coordination in the region. The Indian Coast Guard remains focused on locating the remaining 22 crew members. Multiple international maritime assets have been engaged to support the ongoing rescue operation. The search operation was continuing as rescue teams worked across the northern Bay area.
