Two Chinese crew members of the Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner, which sank in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast, were brought safely to Paradip on Thursday, days after a massive air and sea search was launched by the Indian Coast Guard.
The survivors, Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe, were spotted drifting in a life raft and rescued by merchant vessel MT Aispos on August 22. They were later transferred to Indian Coast Guard Ship Varad for the journey to Paradip.
The 225-metre vessel, carrying 71,000 metric tonnes of iron ore from Paradip to Singapore, had gone silent mid-voyage. Its operator, Victory Star Group Co. Ltd, alerted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Sri Vijaya Puram on August 22.
Of the 24 crew members aboard, including 20 Chinese, three Myanmar and one Bangladeshi national, only the two rescued men have been accounted for so far.
An Indian Navy P-8I aircraft, deployed for aerial surveillance around 230 nautical miles southeast of Paradip, located three drifting life rafts. MRCC Sri Vijaya Puram also activated the International Safety Net, prompting MT Aispos and MT Mol Azure to join the rescue effort.
The two survivors, given medical aid en route, were handed over to the shipping company’s representatives at Paradip in the presence of Bureau of Immigration and police officials.
The Coast Guard has since deployed additional ships and aircraft to trace the remaining crew.