Cargo Ship Sinks off Odisha Coast: Two Crew Rescued, Search Underway For 22
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Two of the 24 crew members aboard a Panama-flagged cargo vessel have been rescued after the ship sank in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast, while a major search-and-rescue operation is underway for the remaining 22 crew members, the Indian Navy said on Sunday.
The MV Ocean-Winner sank around 240 nautical miles off the Odisha coast on Saturday, triggering a coordinated rescue operation involving the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and nearby merchant vessels.
Vessel Was Carrying 1,700 Tonnes Of Iron Ore
The vessel had departed Paradip Port at around 10.30 pm on August 20, carrying approximately 1,700 tonnes of iron ore and sailing towards Singapore.
There were 24 crew members aboard, including 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national.
The ship had reportedly loaded the iron ore in Odisha before beginning its voyage.
Two Survivors Rescued From Liferafts
According to the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command, a distress alert regarding the vessel was received on August 22.
An Indian Navy P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft was redeployed for the search-and-rescue mission in coordination with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at Sri Vijaya Puram.
The aircraft located a liferaft in the area and coordinated with MT AISOPOS, a merchant vessel passing nearby, to assist in the rescue.
By around 8 pm on August 22, MT AISOPOS had rescued two crew members from two separate liferafts.
Navy, Coast Guard Step Up Search
The MRCC received an alert at 11.48 am on August 22 after contact with the MV Ocean-Winner was lost. The request for search-and-rescue assistance was made by Victory Star Group Co. Ltd, the company operating the vessel.
The Indian Search and Rescue network was subsequently activated.
The Indian Coast Guard deployed ICGS Varad and ICGS Anmol, while ICGS Vijit sailed from Sri Vijaya Puram to reinforce the operation. Other vessels in the area were also alerted and asked to assist in locating the missing crew.
The Indian Navy said it continues to coordinate closely with the Coast Guard in the search for the remaining 22 crew members.
Cause Of Sinking Under Investigation
The exact cause of the vessel's sinking remains unclear and is under investigation.
Authorities are continuing search-and-rescue efforts, while further updates on the missing crew and the condition of the two rescued survivors are awaited.
