Paradip: Two Chinese crew members of Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner, which reportedly sank in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast, were safely brought to Paradip on Thursday.
The survivors, identified as Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe, were rescued by merchant vessel MT Aispos on August 22 after they were found drifting in a life raft. They were later shifted to Indian Coast Guard Ship Varad, which brought them safely to Paradip.
The 225-metre-long and 32-metre-wide MV Ocean Winner was carrying 71,000 metric tonnes of iron ore and was sailing from Paradip to Singapore when communication with the vessel was lost. The incident was reported to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Sri Vijaya Puram on August 22 by Victory Star Group Co. Ltd.
There were 24 crew members on board the vessel, including 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national.
Following the distress message, the National Maritime Search and Rescue service provider of the Indian Coast Guard, in coordination with the Indian Navy and other maritime agencies, launched a large-scale search and rescue operation.
An Indian Navy P-8I aircraft was diverted to conduct aerial surveillance in the area, around 230 nautical miles southeast of Paradip. The aircraft spotted three drifting life rafts.
MRCC Sri Vijaya Puram also activated the International Safety Net and alerted merchant vessels operating near the area to assist in the rescue operation. MT Aispos and MT Mol Azure responded to the request. MT Aispos rescued Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe from one of the life rafts on August 22.
The two survivors received medical assistance during their journey to Paradip. After reaching the port, they were handed over to authorised representatives of the vessel’s company in the presence of officials from the Bureau of Immigration and local police.
Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard has deployed additional ships and aircraft to intensify the coordinated sea and air search for the remaining crew members.
MRCC Sri Vijaya Puram continues to coordinate the search and rescue operation.
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