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Two survivors rescued from sunken Panama vessel off Odisha coast
The Indian Coast Guard and Navy have rescued two survivors from the Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner, which sank in the Bay of Bengal around 230 nautical miles off the Paradip…
The Indian Coast Guard and Navy have rescued two survivors from the Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner, which sank in the Bay of Bengal around 230 nautical miles off the Paradip coast of Odisha. The vessel was carrying 24 crew members, including 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmarese and one Bangladeshi. Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed the rescue and said search operations for the remaining crew are ongoing.
The MV Ocean Winner, carrying iron ore from Paradip Port to China, sank on Saturday. Two survivors were recovered from liferafts by the commercial vessel MT Aisopos, diverted by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre. Three ICG ships, Varad, Anmol and Vijit, have been deployed for surface searches. An Indian Navy P8I aircraft has also been redeployed for the search-and-rescue mission.
Indian Opinion Analysis
This is the second major search-and-rescue operation by the Indian Coast Guard in the Bay of Bengal this year, after the MV Sky Hope incident in March 2025. The 24 crew are foreign nationals, so the rescue effort involves coordination with China, Myanmar and Bangladesh through diplomatic channels. The vessel sank 230 nautical miles from shore, well beyond the 12-nautical-mile territorial limit, placing the operation under India's Search and Rescue Region (SRR) as defined by the International Maritime Organization. The Coast Guard's next priority is locating the remaining 22 crew before the 72-hour survival window for people in liferafts closes.
The outcome will also be watched by Paradip Port authorities and shipping insurers, as the loss of a fully loaded bulk carrier raises questions about vessel seaworthiness and weather conditions at the time of the sinking.
Source: rediff.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
