Rescue operation off the coast of Mumbai - Credit: PIB in Maharashtra
Naval vessels and aircraft scoured the waters off India s west coast late on Wednesday after the most powerful cyclone in more than two decades battered the region, sinking an oilfield accommodation barge and killing 26 aboard, authorities said.
Cyclone Tauktae unleashed waves of up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) offshore before it hit the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat over the past two days, leaving a trail of destruction that killed 62 others, authorities said.
Naval ships and aircraft have been deployed to search for the 49 still missing from the barge tragedy.
Reuters May 19, 2021 Photo shows rescue operation on another barge off India battered by the storm - Credit: Press Iinformation Bureau Maharashtra
Fourteen people have died as a barge sank off India s west coast after a powerful cyclone barrelled into the country, authorities said on Wednesday, while Indian navy ships and aircraft scoured waters to locate scores of other missing personnel. We can confirm that 14 bodies have been recovered from the rescue operation of barge P305 that sank off the coast of Mumbai, Mehul Karnik, chief public relations officer, Western Naval Command told Reuters.
Indian navy ships and aircraft have been scouring the waters off the country s financial capital since Monday when the P305 and some other vessels went adrift due to the cyclone.
Fourteen die after barge sinks as cyclone batters India s west coast
05/19/2021 8:06
NEW DELHI (Reuters) -Fourteen people have died as a barge sank off India s west coast after a powerful cyclone barrelled into the country, authorities said on Wednesday, while Indian navy ships and aircraft scoured waters to locate scores of other missing personnel. We can confirm that 14 bodies have been recovered from the rescue operation of barge P305 that sank off the coast of Mumbai, Mehul Karnik, chief public relations officer, Western Naval Command told Reuters.
Indian navy ships and aircraft have been scouring the waters off the country s financial capital since Monday when the P305 and some other vessels went adrift due to the cyclone.
Indian navy hunts for 80 missing at sea after devastating cyclone
The Indian Navy mounted a massive air and sea rescue mission on Tuesday for 81 missing oil workers and crew whose barge sank in heavy seas following a powerful cyclone that tore up the west coast of the country.
Around 180 of those on board the barge were rescued from the water as it sank off Mumbai. Efforts had started to move crew stuck on a second barge that was driven aground by the storm, the navy said.
“There are waves of 20 to 25 feet, the winds are high and the visibility is low,” said navy spokesman Vivek Madhwal. “Ships and have aircraft have been deployed for the search and rescue mission.”
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