Major Ship Mishap in the Bay of Bengal

The Panama-flagged cargo vessel MV Ocean Winner sank in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast, triggering a major search and rescue operation. The vessel had departed from Paradip Port carrying iron ore and was sailing towards Singapore. There were 24 crew members on board, including 20 Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar and one from Bangladesh. Communication with the vessel was lost on August 22 before authorities confirmed that it had sunk.

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard launched a joint search and rescue operation after receiving information about the incident. A naval patrol aircraft located life rafts in the area, following which the nearby merchant vessel MT Aisopos was diverted to assist. Two crew members were rescued from separate life rafts and are receiving medical treatment. Coast Guard vessels Varad, Anmol and Vijit are continuing the search for the remaining 22 crew members. The cause of the sinking has not yet been established.