Two Chinese sailors rescued from the sunken bulk carrier MV Ocean Winner have been unable to provide any account of what happened to their 22 missing crewmates, as a multi-agency search operation continues in the Bay of Bengal. The survivors, brought ashore on 28 August, remain in a state of trauma, leaving maritime experts to piece together the likely cause of the vessel's sudden loss.

Survivors Brought to Paradip, Unable to Speak

The two Chinese nationals, identified as Pan Tonglai and Chen Jianhe, were transported to Paradip Port in Odisha aboard ICGS Varad, a ship of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). They received medical attention en route and were subsequently handed over to authorised company agents in the presence of Bureau of Immigration officials and local police.

'They are in a state of confusion and were not able to provide details about their colleagues. They were also unable to narrate the exact sequence of events that led to the sinking of the vessel. Hopefully, they will be able to narrate events later, when they get over their trauma,' an official said.

What Experts Believe Caused the Sinking

With the survivors unable to speak to the sequence of events, maritime experts have begun offering their own assessments. A senior official from the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) pointed to the possibility of iron ore cargo turning to slush due to excess moisture absorbed during loading at Paradip, where heavy rainfall had been reported.

'The weather was not bad enough to sink a ship of that size. It was carrying 71,000 tonnes of iron ore. It had been raining heavily in the coastal belt of Odisha when the iron ore was loaded at Paradip. The ore may have retained moisture and turned to slush due to the ship's vibration. It was also raining after the voyage started. Nobody knows if the ship's hatches were watertight. A ship can lose its balance and list to one side if this slush starts flowing inside the holds,' the official said.

The official added that even dry bulk cargo can shift within holds, causing dangerous listing and eventual flooding. Notably, mariners point out that such a process typically unfolds gradually — giving crew time to abandon ship — which makes the discovery of empty lifeboats and life rafts all the more puzzling.

Timeline of the Distress and Rescue

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Sri Vijaya Puram received a distress message on 22 August from Victory Star Group Co Ltd, reporting a total loss of communication with the Panama-flagged bulk carrier. The vessel's last known position was approximately 230 nautical miles southeast of Paradip.

The 225-metre long, 32-metre wide ship was en route to Singapore with its cargo. Of the 24-member crew, 20 were Chinese nationals, three were Myanmarese, and one was Bangladeshi.

An Indian Navy P8I aircraft deployed for aerial surveillance sighted three adrift life rafts. Merchant vessels MT Aispos and MT Mol Azure, transiting the area, responded to an International Safety Net alert. MT Aispos rescued the two survivors from one life raft on 22 August. A separate empty lifeboat was later found close to the Odisha coast.

The Unanswered Question: Who Launched the Lifeboats?

Experts are grappling with a central mystery: multiple lifeboats and life rafts were found adrift, yet the vast majority of the crew is unaccounted for. The question of who launched these survival craft — and why so few made it into them — remains unanswered pending a fuller investigation.

Search Operation Ongoing

Authorities have not wound down the search. The ICG has deployed additional ships and aircraft for a coordinated sea-air search. MRCC Sri Vijaya Puram continues to coordinate efforts for the 22 missing crew members. The operation involves the Indian Coast Guard, the Indian Navy, and other maritime agencies working in close coordination.

With the survivors still recovering and the wreck site yet to be formally surveyed, a definitive account of what caused the MV Ocean Winner to sink may take weeks to establish.