Rescued sailors unable to provide details; experts try to figure out how MV Ocean Winner sank

Kolkata, Aug 28 (IANS) Two rescued crew members from the sunken bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner have not been able to provide any information about the fate of their 22 compatriots, a search for whom is continuing.

On Thursday, the two Chinese sailors, identified as Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe, were taken to the Paradip Port in Odisha by Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship — ICGS Varad.

The two were medically administered enroute and were handed over to authorised company agents in the presence of officials from the Bureau of Immigration and local police, the ICG said.

“They are in a state of confusion and were not able to provide details about their colleagues. They were also unable to narrate the exact sequence of events that led to the sinking of the vessel. Hopefully, they will be able to narrate events later, when they get over their trauma,” an official said.

Mariners believe that the bulk carrier could have sunk due to the shifting of cargo in the holds or the iron ore turning to slush from excess moisture.

“The weather was not bad enough to sink a ship of that size. It was carrying 71,000 tonnes of iron ore. It had been raining heavily in the coastal belt of Odisha when the iron ore was loaded at Paradip. The ore may have retained moisture and turned to slush due to the ship’s vibration. It was also raining after the voyage started. Nobody knows if the ship’s hatches were watertight. A ship can lose its balance and list to one side if this slush starts flowing inside the holds,” an official from the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) said.

“Sometimes, even dry bulk cargo can shift in the holds, causing a ship to list dangerously and start taking in water, causing it to sink,” he added.

Mariners, however, said that the process takes time and this gives the crew time to abandon ship.

They find it strange that lifeboats were found without anybody inside.

Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Sri Vijaya Puram received a distress message from Victory Star Group Co Ltd reporting a total loss of communication with their Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner in the Bay of Bengal on August 22.

The last known location of the vessel was about 230 nautical miles southeast of Paradip.

The 225 metres long and 32 metres wide vessel was carrying the 71,000 tonnes of iron ore to Singapore.

Of the 24-member crew, 20 were Chinese, three Myanmarese and one Bangladeshi.

The ICG, in close coordination with Indian Navy and other maritime agencies, launched an extensive search and rescue operation.

An Indian Navy P8I aircraft was dispatched for aerial surveillance.

The aircraft sighted three adrift life rafts in area.

MRCC Sri Vijaya Puram promptly activated International Safety Net to request nearby merchant vessels for assistance.

MT Aispos and MT Mol Azure that were transiting through the area, responded pro-actively.

MT Aispos rescued two survivors from one life raft on August 22.

Later, another empty lifeboat was found close to the Odisha coast.

Experts wonder who may have launched so many lifeboats and rafts if most of the crew failed to make it off the ship.

Authorities are continuing with their search, meanwhile, and the ICG has deployed additional ships and aircraft to conduct sea-air coordinated surface and aerial search.

MRCC Sri Vijaya Puram continues to coordinate the operation, and search efforts for the remaining crew.

–IANS

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