Search continues for 22 missing crew after cargo ship sinks off Odisha
The Indian Navy and Coast Guard continued their search on Sunday for 22 crew members of a Panama-flagged bulk carrier that sank in the Bay of Bengal off Odisha, more than 24 hours after a distress alert was received. Two of the 24 crew members have been rescued, while the remaining are still unaccounted for.
The ill-fated vessel, M.V. Ocean Winner, was carrying iron ore from Paradip Port to an undisclosed destination. It departed Paradip late on August 20 with 24 people on board – 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one from Bangladesh. According to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), communication with the ship was lost about 36 hours after its departure, prompting a request for a search and rescue operation.
The Eastern Naval Command said on social media that it responded to the distress alert by deploying its P8I surveillance aircraft in coordination with the MRCC in Sri Vijaya Puram. The aircraft located a geographically dispersed liferaft in the search area and coordinated with a nearby merchant vessel, MT Aisopos, to render assistance. By late evening on August 22, MT Aisopos had rescued two Chinese crew members from the liferaft.
Officials said that sustained monitoring and focused aerial search by the P8I aircraft also led to the detection of two floating liferafts and an oil slick near the reported position of the sinking. The Navy said it continues to coordinate with the Indian Coast Guard in the ongoing operation to locate the remaining crew members.
The M.V. Ocean Winner was a 28-year-old vessel, built in 1998, capable of carrying around 73,000 tonnes of cargo. According to global shipping database Equasis, the ship was 225 metres long and 32.26 metres wide, and had reached the end of its operational life. Periodic inspections by national authorities had earlier uncovered several deficiencies. The most recent inspection, carried out by Bangladeshi authorities in Chittagong in June, reported three deficiencies, including one related to the ship's magnetic compass.
The ship had changed ownership multiple times since it was built, with its current owner based in Fujian, China. It was covered by Protection and Indemnity insurance, which is up to date as of August 1, 2026, and would provide compensation for loss of life.
Search efforts are being hampered by the vast search area, which is roughly 700 kilometres east of Visakhapatnam. The Navy and Coast Guard have deployed additional ships and aircraft to sweep the waters. The rescued crew members are reported to be in stable condition and are being provided with necessary medical care.
This incident highlights concerns about the safety of ageing cargo vessels operating in busy shipping lanes. Maritime experts point out that older ships, especially those with a history of deficiencies, require closer scrutiny to prevent such tragedies. However, the exact cause of the sinking will only be known after a formal investigation.
Meanwhile, the families of the missing crew members await news as the search enters a crucial phase. Officials have not given up hope and said that all efforts are being made to locate the remaining personnel. The international maritime community is also being kept informed about the ongoing operation.
