The Indian Coast Guard has successfully rescued two Chinese sailors from the MV Ocean Winner, a bulk carrier registered under the Panama flag, which sank in the Bay of Bengal. Search efforts are currently ongoing for the other crew members who remain unaccounted for.

On August 27, 2026, the Coast Guard ship Varad brought the two survivors, Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe, to Paradip, Odisha. The operation followed the sinking of the MV Ocean Winner, which occurred on August 22 while the ship was transporting iron ore from Paradip to Singapore.

The vessel was carrying a total of 24 crew members, including 20 from China, three from Myanmar, and one from Bangladesh, when it went down approximately 240 nautical miles from Paradip’s coastline.

In response to the incident, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Sri Vijaya Puram promptly directed the nearby commercial vessel MT Aisopos to assist in the search for either the ship or any liferafts.

On the night of the sinking, the two Chinese sailors were found and rescued from a liferaft. According to an official spokesperson from the Coast Guard, they received medical attention during their transfer and have since been handed over to company representatives in the presence of local police and Bureau of Immigration officials.

Efforts to locate the remaining missing crew members are in full swing, with coordinated sea and air operations being led by the MRCC. The Coast Guard announced that their search and rescue operations have been enhanced in collaboration with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Beijing.

As part of the intensified search, additional Coast Guard vessels and commercial ships are being deployed. Initially, the Indian Coast Guard had sent three ships to join the rescue mission on August 22, which included Varad and Anmol, while Vijit was tasked from Sri Vijaya Puram to provide further support.

The MV Ocean Winner’s last stop was Paradip, and its next destination was Singapore, as confirmed by officials.