NEW DELHI: As many as 188 workmen have been rescued and 37 bodies have been recovered from barge P305 which sank in the Arabian Sea 35 nautical miles from Mumbai under the impact of cyclone Tauktae, informed the Indian Navy on Thursday.
Navy in a statement said that a unit of Coast Guard has joined the search and rescue (SAR) operations being carried out in the Arabian Sea. “188 survivors and 37 Brave Nature Victims (BNV) rescued and recovered so far. INS Kolkata arrived at Mumbai and is disembarking survivors and BNVs. INS Kochi rejoins SAR efforts. Indian Navy ships and aircraft continue to search for the missing crew members. Coast Guard units have joined the SAR effort,” tweeted the Spokesperson of the Indian Navy. The Navy also rescued two more persons from a tugboat, Varaprada which went adrift in the Arabian Sea due to the cyclonic storm. The people on board two other barges and an oil rig are also safe, said navy personnel on Wednesday.
The Barge P305 started drifting after its anchors gave way off the Heera Oil Fields in Bombay High as cyclonic storm Tauktae brushed past the western coast. The rescue operations by the navy were undertaken in extreme weather conditions and in very rough seas. Meanwhile, Indian Coast Gaurd on Wednesday informed that all crew of MV Denali which anchored off near Tarapur are safe.
The crew of another vessel MV Samarpan that went adrift 19 nautical miles south of Diu are also safe. Both of these vessels are being monitored by the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre Mumbai (MRCC). The cyclone’s intensity has weakened on Wednesday but rains continued for the most part of the day.
Cyclone Tauktae has impacted the weather conditions in several parts of Northern India including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi where heavy rainfall was witnessed.
