BAY OF BENGAL — India’s Eastern Naval Command stated on August 23 that a Boeing P-8I Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (P-8I) on a surveillance sortie was re-tasked after a distress alert on the Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner, International Maritime Organization number 9145530, and that the aircraft found rafts that were not in one cluster in the search area about 435 miles (700 km) east of Visakhapatnam.
Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s minister of ports, shipping and waterways, stated the same day that two survivors were in medical care, that their rank and identity were still being verified, and that the Panama-flagged ship had been carrying iron ore from Paradip Port to China.
The Indian Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram had received the loss-of-communication notice at 6:18 a.m. UTC on August 22, 11:48 a.m. India Standard Time, and recorded that the ship sank.
Commandant Amit Uniyal, a Coast Guard spokesperson, stated the crew numbered 24: 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals, and one Bangladeshi national, with iron ore aboard. The Coast Guard last-known position was 317 degrees from East Island Light at 310 nautical miles.
The coordination center diverted the tanker MT Aisopos, which recovered two survivors from two liferafts at about 2:30 p.m. UTC on August 22, 8:00 p.m. India Standard Time. Coast Guard ships Varad and Anmol were assigned to the search, and Vijit sailed from Sri Vijaya Puram. The Navy command stated it continues to coordinate with the Coast Guard for the remaining crew.
Ocean Winner left Paradip Port on the night of August 20. Coast Guard language and commercial voyage data name Singapore as the next port.
Ocean Winner Shipping Co Ltd of Fuzhou, Fujian, China, is listed as registered owner, commercial manager, and International Safety Management manager of this single hull. Victory Star Group Co Ltd submitted the search-and-rescue request.
The Directorate General of Shipping, also styled the Directorate General of Maritime Administration under the Merchant Shipping Act 2025, with Shyam Jagannathan as director general, had published no named casualty circular on this hull as of 9:53 a.m. UTC August 23.
The Panama Maritime Authority had published none. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued none on the Chinese crew.
The Press Information Bureau had published no Ocean Winner release by that same morning cutoff. Paradip Port Authority had published no named departure or cargo notice on its site then.
China’s Maritime Safety Administration issued no named notice on IMO 9145530 at the cutoff used for the other silences.
The Indian Coast Guard public site carried no separate Ocean Winner bulletin beyond the operational text already issued through Commandant Uniyal. Bangladesh’s Ministry of Shipping issued no named notice on the Bangladeshi seafarer in that window.
Locations Affected
Paradip Port, Odisha, India, 20.32, 86.61. Last port. Arrival August 14. Departure 10:43 p.m. India Standard Time August 20 on MarineTraffic.
Derived last-known search box, about 17.39, 89.36, from the Coast Guard 317-degree, 310-nautical-mile East Island fix. Approximate.
Coast Guard August 23 range, 230 nautical miles southeast of Paradip. Second official distance, no decimal degrees.
Ocean Winner last listed Automatic Identification System (AIS) point, about 17.49, 89.42, August 21, Shipnext.
East Island Light, Andaman Islands, about 13.64, 93.05. Bearing origin, according to the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships.
Aisopos divert fix, about 17.24, 89.46, Shipnext.
Aisopos August 23 morning fix, about 17.25, 89.64, Shipnext, Chittagong run.
Northwest Bay of Bengal low-pressure area, persisted August 23. Weather cell, not a wreck coordinate.
Latest Developments
Eastern Naval Command stated on August 23 that a retasked P-8I found rafts that were not in one cluster about 435 miles (700 km) east of Visakhapatnam and cued Aisopos onto the rafts.
Sonowal stated the same day that the two recovered men were in medical care, that rank and identity were still being verified, and that the iron ore was Paradip to China.
The Coast Guard public account stated the same day that the hull was 230 nautical miles southeast of Paradip, that three ships remained on a surface search, and that no third recovery had been posted.
Jagannathan said the same morning that the two recovered seafarers are Chinese, that they described a Friday list and an eight-minute sinking, and that survival odds fall sharply after 12 hours.
