Cyclone Tauktae : 26 bodies found in Arabian Sea, Search for 49 people still on

Mumbai : Of the four ships stranded in the Arabian Sea during Cyclone Tauktae, at least 26 people of those on P-305 have died, 49 are still missing. So far 26 bodies have been evacuated from the Arabian Sea during the grand campaign on Tuesday and Wednesday and work is on to find the missing. The small ship got stuck in the ocean at some distance off the coast of Mumbai due to the cyclone and then sank. This information was given by a naval officer.

The Navy was informed on Wednesday that its soldiers have so far rescued 186 out of the 273 people on the barge P-305, two people have been rescued using the ‘tugboat’ while battling extremely bad weather. In addition to the barge P-305, 137 people were stranded on the GAL constructor, all of whom have been safely rescued. 202 people are stranded on Barge SS-3 and 101 on Sagar Bhushan.

According to the Indian Navy, all these people are safe and have been provided with things like food and water. Efforts are on to pull these ships back with the help of ONCG. “The search and rescue operation is still on and we have not given up hope to bring people safely to the coast,” a Navy official said. He said that though the expectation of people getting safe is diminishing with the passage of time. A Navy spokesman said that two other ships and all those on an oil rig were safe.

Meanwhile, Navy warship INS Kochi reached Mumbai on Wednesday morning with 125 of the 186 people rescued from the P-305. The spokesman said that 22 bodies were also brought along with them. As of Wednesday, 186 personnel on the P-305 have been rescued, a Navy spokesman said. Search and rescue operations are underway with the help of INS Teg, INS Betwa, INS Beas, P81 aircraft and helicopters. The Navy and Coast Guard rescued 137 people present in the GAL constructor by Tuesday.

Officials said that 196 people present on the Bajre SS-3 and 101 people on the oil rig Sagar Bhushan are safe. Through the ships of ONGC and SCI, they are being brought to the coast safely. INS Talwar is also deployed in the area to help in rescue and relief operations. Vice Admiral Muralidhar Sadashiv Pawar, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff said that this is the most challenging search and rescue operation in the last four decades.