Hopes Dim for 22 Missing Crew as Bay of Bengal Ship Search Continues

Hopes are rapidly fading for the 22 crew members still missing after the Panama-flagged bulk carrier, MV Ocean Winner, sank in the Bay of Bengal. Despite days of intensive search and rescue operations, neither the vessel's debris nor any of the missing crew members have been found, an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) spokesperson confirmed on Monday, August 24, 2026.

The cargo ship, carrying iron ore from Paradip to China, went down approximately 700 km east of Visakhapatnam.

Two Chinese nationals were initially rescued on August 22 after a distress call was received from the MV Ocean Winner.

However, efforts by the Indian Navy and ICG since then have yielded no further success.

According to Commandant Amit Uniyal, ICG spokesperson, the search area is continuously being expanded, but the passage of time makes the rescue effort increasingly challenging. So far, only an oil slick near the reported position of the vessel and two floating life rafts spotted by the Indian Navy's P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft have been located, offering little trace of the ship or its crew.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Vijaya Puram received the alert about the loss of communication with MV Ocean Winner at 11:48 a.m. on August 22, 2026. A nearby merchant vessel was diverted, leading to the immediate rescue of the two crew members. The bulk carrier had a total of 24 crew members on board, comprising 20 Chinese, three Myanmar, and one Bangladeshi national.

The focus now shifts from rescue to recovery, as the odds of finding survivors diminish with each passing hour.

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