Regulation & Inspection
Ocean Winner Disaster: 22 Seafarers Missing as Iron Ore Cargo Comes Under Scrutiny
The bulk carrier Ocean Winner sank in the Bay of Bengal in August with iron ore from Paradip. Two of 24 crew were rescued; cargo liquefaction is among the possibilities being examined.
Two Survivors, 22 Missing
The Panama-flagged bulk carrier Ocean Winner (IMO 9145530), built in 1998, sank in the Bay of Bengal on 21–22 August after loading iron ore at Paradip, India, for Singapore. Of her 24 crew, two were rescued; the other 22 are missing.
According to the survivors’ account given to search and rescue authorities, the ship developed a list on the evening of 21 August and sank within about eight minutes. This timing comes from the survivors’ statements, not from an official finding.
On 25 August the Indian Coast Guard ship ICGS Varad found one of the vessel’s lifeboats with no one aboard and recovered the ship’s emergency beacon (EPIRB). No further survivors had been reported as of 25 August, The Maritime Executive reported.
The Cargo Question
No cause of the sinking has been determined. Cargo liquefaction — where wet iron ore fines behave like a liquid and shift to one side as the ship rolls — is among the possibilities being examined, given the sudden list and the type of cargo. It is not an established finding. The Indian Coast Guard has said it will investigate the conditions during loading.
What the Rules Require
Under the IMSBC Code, a cargo that may liquefy, such as iron ore fines, may only be loaded when its moisture content is below its Transportable Moisture Limit (TML). The shipper must provide a certificate of the TML, based on a test carried out within six months before loading, and a declaration of moisture content, based on sampling and testing carried out within seven days before loading.
These are laboratory and documentary controls. A visual inspection of the holds or the stockpile cannot prove that a cargo is below its TML.
Why It Matters
Until investigators report, Ocean Winner should be treated as a casualty under investigation, with liquefaction one possible explanation — not a confirmed cause. For the families of the 22 missing seafarers, answers depend on that investigation.
Reviewed by Apeks Marine Editorial Team.
Source: The Maritime Executive