Mumbai: As many as 26 personnel onboard lodging barge P305 that went adrift in Cyclone Tauktae fury earlier than sinking in the Arabian Sea off Mumbai coast died and 49 others are nonetheless lacking because the Navy continued to search and rescue operations on the fourth day.
The Navy mentioned its personnel, battling excessive climate, have to date rescued 188 of the 261 people who have been onboard barge P305 and likewise two from tugboat Varaprada. Chances of discovering extra survivors are wanting bleak, a Navy official mentioned.
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#CycloneTauktae #Update (*49*)#SAR P305
188 survivors & 37 Brave #NatureVictims #BNVs recovered to date. #INSKolkata disembarking survivors/BNVs at Mumbai. #INSKochi rejoins SAR efforts#IndianNavy ships & plane proceed to seek for the lacking crew members. CG items be a part of effort. pic.twitter.com/tnXVmJcg5i— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) May 20, 2021
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Altogether 26 our bodies have been recovered to date and 49 people who have been on the barge P305 which sank on Monday are lacking, the official mentioned.
The Navy had to date maintained that there have been 273 individuals on board the barge however an official on Wednesday night mentioned that the corporate which operated it has knowledgeable that there was 261 personnel on board the ill-fated barge.
Mumbai Police to probe gaps & lapses
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Mumbai Police will conduct a probe as to why the ill-fated barge P-305 stayed in the realm despite warnings about Cyclone Tauktae, an official mentioned.
The Yellow Gate Police in south Mumbai on Wednesday registered an unintentional dying report (ADR) in reference to individuals on the barge whose our bodies have been recovered.
“The Navy’s Search and Rescue (SAR) operations off Mumbai and Gujarat entered its third day today. Naval ships and aircraft are presently undertaking SAR of the missing crew members of Accommodation Barge P-305, which sank on Monday 35 miles off Mumbai,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Warships INS Kochi, INS Kolkata, INS Beas, INS Betwa, INS Teg, P8I maritime surveillance plane, Chetak, ALH & Sea King helicopters are concerned in the SAR operations.
“INS Kochi which entered Mumbai harbour on Wednesday to disembark 125 survivors and mortal stays of 4 crew members, was instantly sailed out in the night once more to proceed the search effort.
“INS Kolkata is scheduled to enter Mumbai harbour during the night to disembark the remaining survivors rescued from barge P-305 and Tug ‘Varapradha’ as well as the mortal remains of 18 crew members recovered during the operation.,” he mentioned.
On completion of its operations off Gujarat coast, INS Talwar has additionally been diverted to conjoin the opposite three naval ships trying to find the lacking crew of barge P-305, off Mumbai.
INS Talwar was the ‘On Scene Coordinator’ off Gujarat coast and assisted Support Station 3 (SS-3) and Drill Ship Sagar Bhushan, which are actually being safely towed again to Mumbai by ONGC assist vessels, he mentioned.
Food and water to the 300 odd crew members of those vessels was additionally supplied by naval helicopters from Mumbai, earlier in the day,” he mentioned.
“As of now, 186 crew members of Accommodation barge P-305, and two from Tug ‘Varapradha’ have been rescued by Navy ships and aircraft. A total of 26 mortal remains of the crew of Barge P305 have been recovered so far,” he mentioned.
“Search and rescue operations are still. However, the chances of finding more survivors are getting bleaker by the hour,” an official mentioned.
All personnel on board two different barges and an oil rig rendered adrift hours earlier than the “very severe cyclonic storm” made landfall on the Gujarat coast are additionally secure, a Navy spokesperson mentioned.
Rescued workmen from barge P305 recall horror at sea
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After reaching Mumbai, the rescuees recounted how they battled tidal waves as excessive as 10 metres and robust winds whereas making an attempt to keep afloat in the cyclone-hit tough Arabian Sea for 2 days.
Workmen rescued from barge P305 narrated their horrifying expertise in their quest for survival. Some mentioned that they had virtually misplaced the hope of creating it alive again house.
“It was a horrific situation on the barge. I had not thought I would survive. But, I swam in the waters for seven to eight hours with the determination to stay alive and was rescued by the Navy,” workman Manoj Gite informed reporters right here.
Gite (19), a resident of Kolhapur, mentioned because the barge began sinking, all workmen received fearful and he together with others wore a life jacket and jumped into the waters. Asked if he would return to the rig once more, Gite mentioned he isn’t eager to return and is contented to be alive after the nightmarish expertise.
Another workman, who was injured in the incident, thanked the Indian Navy for saving his life. “It is because of the Navy that we all are alive and safe today, otherwise we don’t what would have happened to us,” the workman mentioned whereas preventing again his tears.
All the 137 personnel on barge GAL Constructor have been rescued on Tuesday by the Navy and Coast Guard. The 196 personnel on barge SS-3 and 101 personnel on board oil rig Sagar Bhushan are secure, the official mentioned.
Three barges and an oil rig with 695 personnel on board went adrift on Monday. These included barge P305 with 261 individuals, cargo barge GAL Constructor with 137 personnel on board, lodging barge SS-3 with 196 personnel on board and the Sagar Bhushan oil rig with 101 personnel on board, the official mentioned.
Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar mentioned the continued SAR is among the many most difficult search and rescue operations in the final 4 many years.
Navy ships have been deployed on Monday after receipt of a request for help for barge ‘P305’ adrift off Heera oil fields in Bombay excessive space with 261 personnel on board. The oil fields are round 70 km southwest of Mumbai.
(With Agency Inputs)
