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INS Teg, Betwa and Beas, P-8I aircraft and Sea King helicopters continuing with search and rescue work
Twenty-two bodies have been recovered and 53 are still missing from Barge P-305 after it sank 35 nautical miles (NM) off Mumbai coast due to cyclone Tauktae.
“INS Kochi has returned to Mumbai harbour with 186 rescued from the barge, two rescued from a tug Varaprada as well the 22 bodies. Search and Rescue effort continues for the remaining personnel,” a Navy spokesperson said on Wednesday.
INS Teg, Betwa and Beas, P-8I aircraft and Sea King helicopters were continuing with the Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, the spokesperson said. The names of those rescued have been conveyed to the Oil and Natural gas Corporation (ONGC) and Afcons, he stated.
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Speaking on the rescue effort off the Mumbai coast, Commodore Manoj Jha stated in Mumbai, “Operations can be challenging but our work is to ensure that we prepare for contingency. We’ve been able to save another 300 lives at sea. Two other vessels were in distress, they were about to abandon ship and we assured them support.”
The rescue operations were continuing and naval ships and aircraft were at work. “Not only the Navy, Coast Guard and ONGC ships are working. It is a joint operation. Others are also helping us,” Cmde Jha said.
On the relief efforts 15-20 NM South East of the Pipavav Port off the coast of Gujarat, the Navy spokesperson said the situation was stable. “ONGC tugs are towing drill rig Sagar Bhushan and Support Station (SS)-3. Food and water is being provided to crew onboard these vessels by Navy helicopters,” he added.
According to the Coast Guard, Sagar Bhushan, with 101 personnel onboard, reported the loss of all eight anchors 63 NM North West of Mumbai and was adrift while ONGC work barge SS-3, with 202 personnel onboard, was adrift 58 NM West of Mumbai.
“SS-3 is presently 32 nautical miles South East of Pipavav. The vessel reported that all 202 crew onboard are safe and three Offshore Support Vessels (OSV) operating in the vicinity,” the Coast Guard said. It has diverted several ships for assistance to the Navy and ONGC.
Three construction barges of Afcons working on a project of the ONGC and the drilling rig of the ONGC deployed for exploration purpose in Bombay High off the coast of Mumbai were impacted by cyclone Tauktae that hit the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai in the early hours of May 17.
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