New Delhi: Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Varad on Thursday brought two Chinese survivors of sunken cargo vessel MV Ocean Winner safely to Paradip, Odisha, five days after they were rescued from a life raft in the Bay of Bengal. The two sailors, Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe, were rescued by merchant vessel MT Aisopos on August 22 after a Navy P-8I aircraft detected three life rafts in the area.
The latest development comes as the Indian Navy and Coast Guard continue the search for the remaining 22 crew members of MV Ocean Winner. Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Sri Vijaya Puram is coordinating the participating ships and aircraft in the ongoing operation.
The two Chinese sailors received medical care onboard during their transit to Paradip, according to Coast Guard CPRO commandant, Amit Uniyal. They were handed over to authorized company representatives after arrival, in the presence of bureau of immigration officials and local police.
The Navy’s P-8I aircraft remains involved in the search and has been used to scan the waters around the vessel’s last known location. Its detection of three life rafts had helped direct rescuers towards possible survivors, leading to the rescue of Pan and Chen.
MV Ocean Winner was carrying 24 crew members, comprising 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national. The Panama-flagged vessel had left Paradip on August 20 carrying around 1,700 tonnes of iron ore fines before losing contact in the Bay of Bengal.
The Indian Navy and Coast Guard launched the search after the vessel went missing. Coast Guard ships and other vessels operating in the region have since been deployed to look for survivors and investigate possible leads.
Earlier, an emergency beacon associated with MV Ocean Winner was recovered and a lifeboat linked to the vessel was located during the search. RNA Media had reported on the subsequent expansion of the operation and deployment of additional maritime assets to locate the missing crew.
The arrival of the two survivors at Paradip is the latest development in an operation that has now entered its next phase, with rescuers continuing to search for the remaining crew. The three life rafts identified by the P-8I remain among the key leads being examined by the search teams.
Operation is still ongoing with the help of naval aircraft and ships assisting in the search area coordinated by MRCC Sri Vijaya Puram. The circumstances surrounding the sinking of MV Ocean Winner have not been established yet, and currently, the most important task is the search for the missing crew members.