NE NEWS SERVICE
MUMBAI, MAY 18
The warship INS Kochi arrived in Mumbai on Wednesday with 125 workmen rescued from barge P305, an accommodation barge that sank amid the Cyclone Tauktae fury.
#CycloneTauktae #Update#INSKochi entering Mumbai harbour today morning alongwith rescued personnel from Barge P305.
INS Teg, INS Betwa, INS Beas P8I aircraft & Seaking Helos continuing with Search & Rescue Ops.@indiannavy @SpokespersonMoD @DDNewslive @PIB_India @airnewsalerts pic.twitter.com/jkBY5DnJeI— PRO Defence Mumbai (@DefPROMumbai) May 19, 2021
Of the 273 people on the ill-fated barge, 184 have been rescued so far by the Indian Navy.
“My ship has come back with 125 of the 184 persons from P305 rescued so far,” Captain Sachin Sequeira, the commanding officer of INS Kochi, told reporters here.
Watch | "Grateful to be alive": Crew member of Barge P305 breaks down while speaking of the Indian Navy's rescue operations. He was rescued by INS Kochi.#CycloneTauktae pic.twitter.com/KW956BoKbU
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 19, 2021
The operating conditions during the ongoing search and rescue at sea are tough with wind speeds of almost 90-100 kmph and waves as high as 9-10 metres, he said.
UPDATE ON MUMBAI BARGES ADRIFT IN CYCLONE:
Barge P305: Has sunk. 146 persons rescued. 127 missing.
Barge Gal Constructor: 137 on board, has run aground. Towing/evac shortly.
Barge SS-3 & Oil Rig Sagar Bhushan: Both adrift w/ 297. Warship en route.#CycloneTauktae 😐 pic.twitter.com/ltKij40XAS
— 🎶അഗാപോ A വാഗബോണ്ട്🍃✍ (@3hakuna_matata) May 19, 2021
INS Kochi had set sail from the city on Monday morning to rescue the workmen from P305 in the Heera oil drilling platform, around 70 km off the Mumbai coast. Other naval ships and helicopters are continuing with the search for survivors.
