The week-long search for 22 crew members who went missing after the Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner sank in the Bay of Bengal has been called off, with maritime authorities reportedly presuming that the missing seafarers are dead.
The vessel sank on August 22, shortly after departing from Odisha’s Paradip Port with a large cargo of iron ore destined for China. Despite an extensive search operation involving multiple agencies and vessels, no additional survivors were found after two crew members were rescued.
22 Crew Members Feared Dead
MV Ocean Winner, a 28-year-old bulk carrier, was carrying around 72,000 tonnes of iron ore when it sank while sailing from Paradip towards China via Singapore.
There were 24 crew members aboard the vessel. Two Chinese nationals were rescued from a life raft, while the remaining 22 crew members could not be located.
Following several days of unsuccessful search efforts, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) have reportedly ended the search and rescue operation, presuming the missing seafarers dead.
Extensive Search Operation Fails To Find Survivors
The search operation continued for nearly a week and involved Indian Coast Guard ships, Indian Navy aircraft, merchant vessels and two Chinese ships.
Search teams covered large areas of the Bay of Bengal in an attempt to locate the missing crew members. An empty lifeboat and an emergency beacon associated with MV Ocean Winner were recovered during the operation.
However, despite sustained efforts and challenging maritime conditions, no further survivors were located.
The failure to find the missing crew has brought the search operation to an end, leaving investigators to determine what happened in the final hours before the vessel sank.
Rescued Chinese Seafarers Return Home
The two Chinese crew members who survived the incident were later sent back to China through Kolkata.
They reportedly completed the necessary immigration and other formalities before departing India on Saturday.
Their accounts could prove important to investigators as authorities attempt to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to the vessel’s sinking.
Focus Shifts To Investigation
With the search and rescue operation now over, attention has shifted towards determining the cause of the maritime disaster.
Investigators are expected to examine the condition of the vessel, its cargo, weather and sea conditions, as well as the circumstances surrounding its departure from Paradip before the accident.
Authorities may also examine whether any operational, technical or safety-related lapses contributed to the sinking.
Questions Over FIR Registration
Meanwhile, police have reportedly not registered an FIR in connection with the maritime casualty so far.
The reported delay has raised questions among maritime stakeholders seeking clarity on the legal and investigative action being taken following the sinking.
The incident has now moved from a search-and-rescue effort to a wider investigation into the circumstances that caused MV Ocean Winner to go down and the fate of its 22 missing crew members.
