Beijing deploys two merchant vessels as search and rescue operation intensifies off Odisha coast. Twenty of 24 crew members, including the two who were rescued, are Chinese nationals
Written by: Sujit Bisoyi
3 min readBhubaneswarUpdated: Aug 25, 2026 08:05 PM IST
ICGS Varad, in coordination with merchant vessels in the area, is undertaking an extensive search for the missing crew members.
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Three days after a cargo ship sank off Odisha coast, an emergency beacon of the vessel and a lifeboat were recovered from the search area in Bay of Bengal on Tuesday. There is no trace of any of the 22 missing crew members of MV Ocean Winner yet.
Since Saturday night, Indian Coast Guard has been conducting an intensive search for the 22 of 24 missing crew members of the Panama-flagged cargo ship.
ICGS Varad, the advanced, indigenously built Vikram-class offshore patrol vessel of the Indian Coast Guard, recovered an emergency beacon from the area, which, on verification, was confirmed to be associated with MV Ocean Winner, said officials.
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“During an aerial search, a naval aircraft detected a distress transmission and guided ICGS Varad towards the reported location. Subsequently, ICGS Varad recovered the emergency beacon,” said Coast Guard spokesperson Commandant Amit Uniyal.
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Emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) on a vessel works by automatically or manually transmitting distress signal and position location accuracy.
The rescue team located the lifeboat at 7 am on Tuesday. A boarding team inspected the lifeboat; however, no survivors were found.
Also Read | Ship sinks off Odisha coast: No clue of mis
Coast Guard sources also confirmed that MRCC Beijing, the Maritime Search and Rescue Centre of China, has also been coordinating with the Indian Coast Guard in the search and rescue operation. It has deployed two of its merchant vessels to intensify the search and rescue operation.