22 Seafarers Missing After Ship Sailing From India To China With 72,000 Tonnes Of Iron Ore Sinks In Bay Of Bengal

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier, MV Ocean Winner, which was carrying iron ore from India’s Paradip Port in Odisha to China, sank in the Bay of Bengal. The vessel was loaded with 72,000 tonnes of cargo, and its carrying capacity was 73,000 tonnes.

The ship had a 24-member crew, 20 Chinese, 3 from Myanmar and 1 from Bangladesh. According to reports, 2 Chinese crew members have been rescued and brought to the shore.

The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard have intensified the search for the remaining 22 crew members. According to the Andaman and Nicobar Command of the Navy, the P-81 aircraft found two liferafts and an oil slick near the vessel.

Three Indian Coast Guard Vessels and an Indian Navy aircraft are involved in the rescue operation since the incident occurred on Saturday.

After the ship had sent a distress call, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at Sri Vijaya Puram sent a nearby vessel, the MT Aisopos, to help the crew members, the Coast Guard spokesperson said.

Coast Guard vessels Anmol and Varad are also engaged in the search and rescue, while Viji has also arrived at the scene from Sri Vijaya Puram.

Indian Minister for Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal called the accident “unfortunate” and said that all agencies were coordinating to find the missing crew members.

A former minister of Odisha has asked for an independent probe into the accident to determine the cause behind it.

He said that the mineral resources belong to the state, hence the government must know about the exact quantity of the iron ore being carried, along with all the details about the owner of the vessel, its destination and so on.

He explained that there have been many cases of mineral theft from the state, which has led to a loss of thousands of crores every year. He urged the state government to check for mining theft and keep an eye on the situation.