PARADIP: A Panama-flagged cargo vessel carrying around 71,000 metric tonne of iron ore has reportedly disappeared from tracking systems nearly two days after leaving Paradip Port.
The ‘Ocean Winner’ left Paradip Port around 10.30 pm on Wednesday. The 225-metre-long and 32-metre-wide vessel had 24 crew members on board, including 20 Chinese, three Myanmar and a Bangladeshi national. It was headed to Singapore.
Sources said the vessel was in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday, but has gone incommunicado for nearly 24 hours. The loss of the signal has triggered concerns over a possible technical snag, an emergency or an incident involving the vessel. Sources said Indian Coast Guard (ICG) vessel Varada has been pressed into rescue and search operation.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and Indian Navy have launched a search-and-rescue operation for the crew members. Two survivors have so far been rescued, while 22 remain missing, according to officials.
A senior officer of the Paradip Port Authority said the vessel sailed from the anchorage area of Paradip Port on Wednesday but its present location was not known. The port’s vessel-tracking jurisdiction is confined to the port and anchorage area.
“The vessel is believed to have travelled around 290 nautical miles from Paradip and is now beyond the port’s tracking range. Surveillance by the Indian Coast Guard now assumes importance,” the officer said.
An ICG source said standard procedures are followed when a vessel disappears from tracking systems. Authorities ascertain whether the loss of signal is due to a technical failure, disabling of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) or an emergency.
The disappearance has also fuelled speculation about a possible sinking. However, there is no official confirmation of either.
Coast Guard authorities have not issued any statement on the vessel’s whereabouts. Sources said search and surveillance operations may be underway, while local Coast Guard officials declined to comment.
The disappearance is a cause of worry as the vessel was carrying a large consignment of iron ore and a multinational crew.
