PARADIP: It took just five minutes. To completely vanish from the surface of the sea, taking 22 lives with it.
A week after the tragedy, the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Panama-flagged bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner, around 290 miles off the Paradip coast in the Bay of Bengal, has been unravelled with horrifying details beginning to emerge.
Two Chinese crew members who survived the sinking have now recounted their terrifying ordeal, from the moment the ship’s master raised the alarm to the crew members’ desperate attempt to save their lives.
The two survivors Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianh were rescued from the sea and brought to Paradip aboard Indian Coast Guard ship Varad on Thursday. They later shared details of the tragedy with representatives of the shipping agency, immigration officials, Coast Guard personnel and Paradip Port Authority officials.
According to the survivors, the master of MV Ocean Winner alerted all 24 crew members at around 10.30 pm on August 22 that the vessel was in severe distress. He instructed them to rush to the upper deck and abandon the ship by jumping into the sea as the vessel began sinking. The crew was scattered across cabins, work areas and other sections of the vessel at the time. Of the 24 members on board, only 10 managed to reach the upper deck in time. They released the lifeboats and jumped into the sea.
The survivors said their lifeboat managed to land safely in the water. But eight other crew members were not as fortunate. Their lifeboats were caught in a powerful ocean whirlpool and sucked in by the strong oceanic current.
The remaining 14 crew members, including the master and chief mate who were at their stations operating the vessel could not make it to the upper deck. As the ship sank within minutes of development of the snag, they all went down with it.
Recalling the final moments, the survivors said the sea was extremely rough that night. The vessel, which was carrying around 72,000 metric tonnes of iron ore, suddenly lost control and began drifting before tilting heavily towards its right side. “The heavily loaded vessel sank within four to five minutes after it started tilting. That night will remain unforgettable for us as we got a new life by the mercy of God,” the survivors said.
But their relief at surviving was overshadowed by grief over the deaths of their fellow crew members. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of eight crew members who jumped into the sea with us and the other 14 who could not come to the surface due to lack of time. Their families are now left in grief and sorrow,” they said.
The duo was questioned through an interpreter by personnel from the Mercantile Marine Department (MMD), shipping agency, Indian Coast Guard and Paradip Port Authority. Officials sought details that could help establish the possible cause of the vessel’s sudden sinking.
Deputy superintendent of police (Immigration) Sarojkant Behera said the immigration department had completed the necessary formalities for the deportation of the two survivors to China. Both are likely to be sent back to China via Kolkata on Friday evening or Saturday.