New Delhi: The Indian Coast Guard ship Varad successfully brought two Chinese survivors to Paradip, Odisha, on Thursday after a Panama-flagged bulk carrier sank in the Bay of Bengal nearly a week ago. The MV Ocean Winner, which was en route to Singapore, sank approximately 240 nautical miles from Paradip on August 22, carrying a crew of 24 members, including 20 Chinese, three Myanmarese, and one Bangladeshi.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Sri Vijaya Puram promptly diverted the MT Aisopos, a nearby commercial vessel, to search for the sunken ship and assist in the rescue. Two survivors were located and rescued that night. An Indian Coast Guard spokesperson confirmed that the Varad brought the survivors, Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe, to Paradip after they were rescued from a liferaft on August 22. They received medical attention during transit and were handed over to company representatives in the presence of local police and immigration officials.
Ongoing search and rescue operations are being coordinated by the MRCC, which is in constant communication with all involved assets. The Indian Coast Guard has intensified efforts, collaborating with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Beijing to locate the remaining missing crew members. Initially, three Coast Guard ships were deployed for the operation, including Varad and Anmol, while Vijit was sent from Sri Vijaya Puram to support the mission. The MV Ocean Winner had last docked in Paradip and was transporting iron ore from Odisha to Singapore.
