PARADIP: Mystery continued to shroud the sinking of MV Ocean Winner in the Bay of Bengal as the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), Indian Navy and other agencies were at loss to explain why the vessel suddenly sunk or trace 22 of its 24 crew members even 48 hours after the incident.
The ICG on Monday said the search and rescue (SAR) operation was continuing despite rough sea conditions, high waves and adverse weather. No survivors have been located after the two crew members rescued earlier, it said.
ICG vessels Vijit and Varada have been deployed for the operation, coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), Sri Vijaya Puram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Panama-flagged vessel, carrying around 72,200 tonnes of iron ore, had sailed from Paradip Port on August 20 for Singapore with 24 crew members. Its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal disappeared in the Bay of Bengal on August 21, around the time it transmitted a distress alert. The incident occurred around 290 nautical miles from Paradip.
The 28-year-old vessel developed a sudden list and sank within about eight minutes. While only two crew members have so far been rescued, the rest remain untraced. The survivors were spotted by an Indian Navy aircraft and subsequently picked up by a merchant vessel.
The vessel’s rapid loss of stability has raised questions over what triggered the accident. The two survivors are expected to provide crucial information on the circumstances preceding the sinking. However, the whereabouts of the remaining crew and the precise cause of the vessel’s sudden capsizing remain unknown.
Trade union leader Sudhakar Mantri urged the authorities to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the accident, including whether the vessel was overloaded and whether its age and condition were properly assessed before loading.
Paradip coast has witnessed major incidents involving iron ore carriers in the past. In September 2009, Mongolian-flagged MV Black Rose sank about three km off Paradip after developing a hole in its hull. The vessel was carrying around 23,847 tonne of iron ore and 920 tonne of furnace oil. Its chief engineer, a Ukrainian national, died in the accident.
In another incident that year, Vietnam-flagged MV Vinalines Mighty developed serious stability problems while carrying around 24,500 tonnes of iron ore from Paradip and issued an SOS after beginning to tilt. A major accident was eventually averted.
Experts have long warned about the dangers posed by wet iron ore fines which can undergo cargo liquefaction. When moisture causes the cargo to behave like a fluid, it can shift suddenly as the vessel rolls, causing a list and rapid loss of stability.
Former Paradip Port Authority trustee Bishnu Charan Barik said repeated incidents involving iron ore carriers after loading at Paradip warranted a thorough examination of vessel condition, age, cargo loading practices and possible overloading.
“The immediate priority should be to locate and rescue the remaining 22 crew members. A comprehensive inquiry should subsequently examine every possible factor, including the condition of the vessel, cargo loading and stability. The Central government will have to fix responsibility and hold those accountable,” he said.
