Cyclone Tauktae Cyclone Tauktae: 14 bodies recovered, hundreds rescued by Indian Navy from Arabian Sea
New Delhi/IBNS: Indian Navy has fished out 14 bodies in the ongoing search and rescue operation as several people are feared drowned following cyclone Tauktae which pounded the Arabian Sea, sinking a number of vessels, said media reports.
The process of identification of the deceased is going on but it is still not clear which vessels they were sailing, said a Hindustan Times report.
The navy has rescued two of the thirteen people sailing in a tug boat which, reportedly, sank in the Arabian Sea during the cyclone. The navy is trying to recover the 11 bodies
Navy has deployed ships and aircrafts to search the missing individuals, who were onboard a barge that sank 35 nautical miles off Mumbai, in the aftermath of cyclone Tauktae, the HT report stated.
Barge P305, was contracted by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), the report said, adding that it sank around 7pm on Monday night with 273 crew members on-board.
All the members were forced to jump into the turbulent waters of the Arabian Sea as the barge sank.
The navy rescued 188 of the 273 crew members some 20 hours after they were forced to battle the choppy waters of the Arabian Sea. However, the search and rescue operations became difficult as bad weather followed.
#CycloneTauktae #Update #SAR Ops - Barge P305.
— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) May 19, 2021
188 survivors incl two ex tug Varaprada rescued & 22 Brave #NaturesVictims #BNV recovered so far. #INSKochi returned to #Mumbai with survivors/ BNV.#IndianNavy #SAR effort continues for the remaining personnel.@DefenceMinIndia pic.twitter.com/qeETMnN8HE
Naval warship INS Kochi brought 188 crew members, rescued from the barge, to Mumbai on Wednesday.
At least 137 crew members of GAL Constructor, another barge which went down in the sea north off Mumbai, were rescued by navy and coast guard.
