The Indian Navy and the ICG are collectively coordinating the search and rescue operation about 700 km east of Visakhapatnam within the Bay of Bengal. Photograph: X/@IN_HQENC
The search and rescue operation for the sunken Panama-flagged bulk carrier in the Bay of Bengal has been expanded to cowl a wider space, as hopes of discovering the 22 remaining crew members alive diminish with each passing hour.
Regardless of days-long search operations within the Bay of Bengal, neither the particles of the ill-fated vessel nor any of its 22 lacking crew members could possibly be traced, an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) spokesperson stated on Monday (August 24, 2026).
The Indian Navy and the ICG are collectively coordinating the search and rescue operation about 700 km east of Visakhapatnam within the Bay of Bengal.
“On August 22, two Chinese language nationals have been rescued after a misery name was obtained from MV Ocean Winner (IMO 9145530), which had sailed with iron ore from Paradip for China on August 20. The vessel sank at a location within the Bay of Bengal the place the ocean is extraordinarily deep,” stated Commandant Amit Uniyal, ICG spokesperson.
In response to Commandant Uniyal, aside from an oil slick detected close to the reported place of the vessel and two floating liferafts noticed by the Indian Navy’s P-8I maritime reconnaissance plane, no different hint of the vessel or its crew has been discovered.
He stated the search space was being expanded because the operation progressed, with the passage of time making the rescue effort more and more difficult.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Vijaya Puram, had obtained details about the lack of communication with MV Ocean Winner (IMO 9145530) and a request for search and rescue at 11:48 a.m. on August 22, 2026. Subsequently, a service provider vessel crusing close by was diverted to the situation, ensuing within the fast rescue of two crew members.
Thereafter, coordinated search and rescue efforts by the Indian Navy and ICG have yielded no additional success.
MV Ocean Winner had 24 crew members on board, comprising 20 Chinese language nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi nationwide.
The majority provider MV Ocean Winner has an general size of 225 metres and a beam of 32.26 metres, with a cargo-carrying capability of round 73,000 tonnes.
The vessel is owned by an organization primarily based in Fujian, China and is roofed by Safety and Indemnity (P&I) insurance coverage, which offers compensation for lack of life and different liabilities.
Printed – August 24, 2026 01:38 pm IST
