26 people aboard barge Papaa-305 killed in Cyclone Tauktae, 49 still missing

People who were stranded at sea aboard Barge P305 due to Cyclone Tauktae exit the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kochi after they were rescued by the Indian Navy, at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. Credit: Reuters Photo

Twenty-six persons on board accommodation barge Papaa-305 have died even as the Indian Navy's search warships sailed in the choppy Arabian Sea and reconnaissance aircraft carried out runs and helicopters hovered over the Mumbai High region in the Arabian Sea to look for 49 oil workers reported missing.

The bodies of 22 workers were brought to the Mumbai harbour by INS Kochi, a stealth guided missile destroyer, on Wednesday.

The remaining four bodies will be brought on Thursday.

The Mumbai-headquartered Western Naval Command (WNC) continued with its massive Search and Rescue (SAR) mission along India’s western seaboard days after the devastating cyclone Tauktae hit the coastal areas.

The cyclone, which is being described as one of the worst to hit the West coast, passed over the ONGC’s Mumbai High offshore development areas on Monday as it moved along Maharashtra towards Gujarat.

Four vessels deployed by India’s public-sector oil exploration company were affected by the cyclone – barge Pappa-305 near Heera oilfield, barge GAL Constructor, vessel Support Station 3 and drillship Sagar Bhushan.

Read | Cyclone Tauktae survivors recount tale of horror at sea

A total of 261 persons were on board Pappa-305, according to officials of Indian Navy, ONGC and Afcons.

Of these, the Navy has rescued 186 so far.

“A total of 188 survivors including 186 of Papaa 305 and two ex tug Varaprada rescued and 26 Brave Nature’s Victims recovered so far,” an Indian Navy spokesperson said, adding that SAR operations continue in the Arabian Sea.

The 188 survivors were brought to the Mumbai harbour in INS Kochi on Wednesday morning.

Three warships INS Kolkata, INS Betwa and INS Beas continue to be in the vicinity of Mumbai High to look for survivors.

Meanwhile, a P-8I is a long-range, multimission maritime patrol aircraft carried out reconnaissance missions over the designated area even as ALH, SeaKing and Chetak helicopters carried out search operations.

In the last three days, more than 600 crew and oil workers have been rescued by Indian Navy, assisted by Indian Coast Guard and ONGC platforms.

All the 137 on board barge GAL Constructor have been rescued and dropped in INS Shikra, the Naval helibase at Colaba in Mumbai and ICG air station in Daman.

Besides, all the 196 on board Support Station 3 and 101 in Sagar Bhushan are safe and accounted for. “Both have been secured. Those on board are being brought to the shores,” officials said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Oil and Natural Gas has ordered a high-level probe into the entire incident.