Two Chinese Sailors Rescued From Sunken Cargo Ship Brought Ashore In Odisha

Two Chinese sailors rescued after the Panama flagged cargo ship MV Ocean Winner sank off the Odisha coast were brought ashore at Paradip on Thursday, while an extensive search continued for the vessel’s 22 other missing crew members.

Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Varad safely brought survivors Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe to Paradip after they were rescued from a liferaft on August 22. Both sailors received medical treatment aboard the Coast Guard vessel during the journey, officials said.

Indian Coast Guard Commandant Amit Uniyal said the two survivors were handed over to authorised representatives of the shipping company in the presence of Bureau of Immigration officials and local police.

Meanwhile, coordinated sea and air search operations remain underway to locate the missing crew. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) at Sri Vijaya Puram is coordinating with various assets involved in the operation, officials said.

The Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy launched a joint search and rescue mission after the cargo ship sank. The two sailors were found floating in liferafts and subsequently taken aboard the Coast Guard vessel for medical care.

The search operation was later expanded after MRCC Beijing joined the effort, with participating agencies widening the search area.

On August 25, at around 7 am, ICGS Varad located a lifeboat belonging to MV Ocean Winner in the search zone. A boarding team inspected the lifeboat but found no survivors.

The vessel had 24 crew members, including 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national. With only two crew members rescued so far, authorities continue to search for the remaining 22 sailors.

The operation remains focused on covering a wider stretch of sea in the hope of locating the missing crew and bringing the rescue mission to a successful conclusion.