2 Chinese survivors from vessel that sank off Odisha coast questioned by joint team

Two Chinese crew members of the MV Ocean Winner, a cargo vessel that sank off the Odisha coast, have been questioned by a joint team from the Indian Coast Guard and police. Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe were rescued on life rafts on August 22 and are currently receiving medical care. Coast Guard spokesperson Commandant Amit Uniyal confirmed their rescue, stating that they are now with authorized company representatives.

Police sources revealed that the survivors will eventually travel to the Chinese Embassy to provide details about the incident. The MV Ocean Winner, a Panama-flagged vessel, capsized around 230 nautical miles from the Paradip coast of Odisha late on Sunday night. The ship, carrying over 72,000 tonnes of iron ore from Odisha to China, sank within eight minutes.

The vessel had left Paradip Port early Friday morning with a crew of 24, consisting of 20 Chinese, three from Myanmar, and one from Bangladesh. The status of the remaining 22 crew members remains uncertain, with Coast Guard sources indicating that search and rescue operations are ongoing. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) is coordinating efforts with the Maritime Search and Rescue Centre of China, which has deployed two merchant vessels to aid in the rescue efforts.