Two Chinese sailors have been rescued days after a Panama-flagged cargo ship sank in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast. The vessel, laden with iron ore fines, had departed Paradip Port late on 20 August and lost contact about 200 nautical miles offshore, triggering a major search and rescue operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy.

The ship was bound for China and carried 24 crew members in total. Among them were twenty Chinese nationals, three from Myanmar, and one from Bangladesh. The vessel was reported to be carrying 1,700 tonnes of iron ore fines when it disappeared from tracking systems and was later confirmed to have sunk in deep waters.

On 22 August, two Chinese crew members, Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe, were rescued from a liferaft by Indian Coast Guard Ship Varad. They received medical care onboard during transit and were safely brought to Paradip, Odisha. Upon arrival, they were handed over to authorised company representatives in the presence of Bureau of Immigration and local police officials.

Commandant Amit Uniyal, the Chief Public Relations Officer of the Indian Coast Guard, confirmed the successful rescue and emphasised that coordinated sea and air search operations are continuing in full swing to locate the remaining missing crew members. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre at Sri Vijaya Puram is actively coordinating with all participating assets to sustain the ongoing rescue efforts.

Reports earlier suggested that some crew members may have been spotted floating in life jackets, raising hopes that more survivors could be found. However, the scale of the disaster and the vast search area in deep waters present significant challenges for rescuers.

The incident has drawn international attention due to the multinational composition of the crew and the strategic importance of Paradip Port in India’s iron ore export chain. Investigations are expected to focus on the vessel’s seaworthiness, weather conditions at the time of departure, and possible technical failures that may have led to the sinking.

The tragedy underscores the dangers faced by seafarers navigating busy shipping lanes in the Bay of Bengal and highlights the importance of robust safety measures and coordinated international rescue programs.

Agencies