by: Nav Jeevan

Cyclone ‘Biparjoy’: Daredevil ICG airlifts 26 personnel working at oil rig off Gujarat Coast

  • Indian Coast Guard conducts special community interaction programme in view of cyclone Biparjoy

NENEWS SERVICE

GANDHINAGAR, JUNE 12

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has airlifted 26 personnel from an oil rig operating off the coast of Gujarat near Dwarka amid strong winds and high tide conditions in the Arabian Sea caused by approaching Cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ which is expected to hit the state on June 15, an ICG official said on Monday.

the formation and units under the Indian Coast Guard Headquarters Region North West are kept under high alert to take rescue operations at sea and aid civil authorities.-NE photo

An ICG helicopter airlifted 26 employees working at an oil rig of a private company, around 50km off the Okha coast in Devbhoomi Dwarka district, and transported them to a safer place, the official said.

“The Indian Coast Guard Regional Headquarters North West is undertaking operation to evacuate 50 personnel from Oil Drilling Ship ‘Key Singapore’. The rig is 25 miles off Devbhumi Dwaraka into open sea amidst very rough sea conditions and inclement weather due to approaching Extremely Severe Cyclone ‘Biparjoy’. ICG has pressed into service its Advanced Light Helicopter MK III for the rescue ops and the personnel are being evacuated to Okha,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the formation and units under the Indian Coast Guard Headquarters Region North West are kept under high alert to take rescue operations at sea and aid civil authorities if required in view of the approaching cyclone Biparjoy which has been categorised as extremely severe.

The Indian Coast Guard units in Gujarat are continuously interacting with local population in susceptible areas along coast advising fishermen not to venture into sea and also advocating necessary precautions at harbour.

As per the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) latest bulletin, the extremely severe cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’ is likely to make landfall near the Jakhau port in Kutch district around noon on Thursday as a very severe cyclonic storm.

Authorities in the coastal districts of Kutch, Porbandar, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Junagadh and Morbi have started evacuating people residing near the sea.

Community interaction underway.-NE photo