Bulk carrier Ocean Winner sinks off India leaving 22 crew members missing

Sinking in the Bay of Bengal

The Panama-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Winner sank in the Bay of Bengal roughly 240 nautical miles (444 kilometres, or 276 miles) off the eastern coast of the Indian state of Odisha. The vessel had loaded a full shipment of iron ore at the port of Paradip before setting sail on Friday. Shortly after departure, Indian maritime search and rescue services lost all radio and electronic communication with the ship. According to accounts provided by surviving crew members to Indian shipping officials, the vessel developed a sudden list on Friday and sank completely within eight minutes. This rapid flooding gave the seafarers minimal time to launch emergency gear and abandon the ship. Maritime authorities have confirmed that the underlying cause of the accident remains unknown.

Joint search and rescue operation

In response to the incident, the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy launched a coordinated search and rescue operation in the waters off Odisha. Rescue teams located and recovered two crew members alive from lifeboats drifting in the area. Paradip local police officer Sanjay Negi reported that rescue units were scheduled to reach the site by morning, while commercial vessels sailing in nearby shipping lanes were notified to look for survivors. The Director General of the Indian Shipping Administration stated to Reuters that chances of finding the remaining sailors alive had diminished significantly after more than 12 hours elapsed from the time of the sinking. Despite the worsening conditions and elapsed time, naval and coast guard units continued maritime patrols.

Crew breakdown and missing mariners

The Ocean Winner sailed from Paradip with a total of 24 crew members on board, as detailed by Indian Coast Guard spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Amit Uniyal. The vessel's multinational crew consisted of 20 Chinese nationals, three citizens of Myanmar, and one citizen of Bangladesh. The two sailors rescued from lifeboats were confirmed to be Chinese nationals. A total of 22 crew members remain missing at sea, including 18 Chinese citizens, three Myanmar nationals, and one Bangladeshi national. Search teams continue to look for any signs of additional life rafts or crew members across the search perimeter.

Vessel details and conflicting destinations

Constructed in 1998, the bulk carrier Ocean Winner operated under the registration number IMO 9145530 and possessed a cargo carrying capacity of approximately 72,900 tonnes. The vessel sailed from Paradip believed to be carrying a full cargo load, though official reports and tracking systems show different intended destinations. The preliminary report from the Indian Shipping Administration stated that the vessel was carrying its iron ore cargo to China. Conversely, voyage data from the commercial ship tracking platform MarineTraffic listed the destination as Singapore. Indian maritime officials are examining the departure documents as the joint search operation continues in the Bay of Bengal.