In a tragic information, not less than 26 individuals on board the drifting Barge Papaa-305 have been killed after it sank within the Arabian Sea within the aftermath of Cyclone Tauktae. As many as 186 survivors have been rescued whereas one other 49 are nonetheless lacking, because the Centre ordered a probe into the incident.
The barge sank within the stormy Arabian Sea 35 nautical miles from Mumbai beneath the affect of cyclone Tauktae, knowledgeable the Indian Navy on Wednesday. Because the cyclone ravaged the Maharashtra coastal areas and whirled in direction of Gujarat, the ill-fated barge within the offshore improvement space of Bombay Excessive Discipline had sunk late on Monday evening.
The search and rescue operation for the lacking is underway.
The navy additionally rescued two extra individuals from a tugboat, Varaprada which went adrift within the Arabian Sea because of the cyclonic storm. The folks on board two different barges and an oil rig are additionally secure, stated navy personnel.
Amit Kumar Kushwaha, who was rescued from Barge P305, stated, “The Barge was sinking, so I needed to bounce into the ocean. I used to be within the sea for 11 hours. After that the Navy rescued us.”
The Barge P305 began drifting after its anchors gave method off the Heera Oil Fields in Bombay Excessive as cyclonic storm Tauktae brushed previous the western coast. The rescue operations by the navy have been undertaken in excessive climate situations and in very tough seas.
The Indian Navy has to this point saved round 190 individuals from that Barge, apart from many extra from different stranded or drifting vessels in one of many greatest search and rescue operations mounted beneath excessive climate situations.
Rescue operations are nonetheless persevering with within the Arabian Sea because the climate situations improved since this morning.