News Analysis India

Tag: Cyclone Tauktae

  • Staying afloat for 12 hours while battling gigantic waves, strong winds: Rescued workmen from barge recall horror in sea

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Battling tidal waves as high as 15 metres and strong winds while trying to stay afloat in the cyclone-hit rough Arabian Sea for almost 12 hours, workmen rescued from a sinking barge near here narrated their horrifying experience in their quest for survival.

    One of the survivors said the incident was similar to the scenes from the movie ‘Titanic’ that depicted the sinking of the RMS Titanic ship in 1912 in the North Atlantic Ocean, while some others said that they had almost lost the hope of making it alive back home.

    At least 22 personnel on board accommodation barge P305 that went adrift in Cyclone Tauktae fury before sinking in the Arabia Sea off Mumbai coast are dead and 65 still missing, a Navy official said on Wednesday.

    The Navy said its personnel have so far rescued 186 of the 273 people who were onboard barge P305.

    “People might have watched in ‘Titanic’ movie the occupants jumping out of the sinking ship to save themselves and dead bodies floating, but we saw all this unfold before our eyes,” Vishwajeet Bandgar (28), who worked on the barge as a welder, said after his rescue by the Navy.

    ALSO READ | Cyclone Tauktae: Police to probe why barge P-305 didn’t move away despite warning; Mumbai greenery sees massive destruction

    “It was worse than the Titanic, as dead bodies of our colleagues, who worked with us, could be seen floating in the water,” he said.

    They had jumped into the water before us and we saw their life boat was also broken, said Bandgar, a native of Mangalwedha town in Maharashtra’s Solapur district.

    Thanking the Navy for rescuing him and several of his colleagues, Bandgar said the Navy is like God to them.

    “We were not sure if we could be rescued until help came. During that horrific situation, we kept supporting each other by saying that we will be alive and there is no need to worry,” he said.

    “I was in the water holding on with the life jacket for more than 14 hours. There were gusty winds and waves of more than 15 metres,” he said.

    Talking to reporters here, workman Manoj Gite said, “It was a horrific situation on the barge. I had not thought I would survive. But, I swam in the waters for seven to eight hours with the determination to stay alive and was rescued by the Navy.”

    Gite (19), a resident of Kolhapur, said as the barge started sinking, all workmen got worried and he along with others wore a life jacket and jumped into the waters.

    The workman, who had joined as a helper on the barge only last month, said said he lost all his documents and mobile phone in the cyclonic storm.

    Asked if he would return to the rig again, Gite said he is not keen to go back and is contented to be alive after the nightmarish experience.

    Another workman, who was injured in the incident, thanked the Navy for saving his life.

    “It is because of the Navy that we all are alive and safe today, otherwise we don’t what would have happened to us,” the workman said while fighting back his tears.

    One of the officials on the barge had claimed the cyclone was “not huge”, another workman said.

    “The official is now missing. We tried to search for him, but in vain,” he said.

    Another rescued workman said as their barge started sinking, he jumped into the waters in the middle of the night and tried to stay afloat.

    “I swam for about 12 hours before the Navy team rescued me,” he said.

    Another personnel, who works as a fitter at the rig, said the sea waves were higher than the height of the barge and there were high speed winds blowing around.

    “Before the Navy ship arrived, we were not sure what was going to happen. As we saw the naval ship coming towards us for rescue, our confidence went up. I was sure they will save me, hence I jumped into the waters and started swimming,” he said.

    ALSO READ | Cyclone Tauktae hits Gujarat farmers hard; mango, banana plantations worst hit 

    When asked whether the personnel on the barge had any idea about the impending cyclone, Bandgar claimed that they had enough information about it and except P305, all other barges had already started moving towards the shore before the cyclone.

    “But the company did not inform about it,” he said.

    Bandgar said before they got know about his rescue, his family members kept crying till he called them to inform that he was safe, he said, adding his kin were coming to Mumbai to see him.

    Meanwhile, the oil ministry on Wednesday constituted a high-level committee to enquire into the sequence of events leading to the stranding of three vessels of a contractor of ONGC in cyclone ‘Tauktae’.

    Three barges of Afcons, a contractor working on ONGC fields off the west coast with more than 600 people on board, were stranded in offshore areas during the severe cyclone.

    “The stranding, drifting and subsequent events have led to loss of several lives,” a ministry statement said without giving details.

    A committee comprising Amitabh Kumar, Director General of Shipping; SCL Das, Director General of Hydrocarbons, and Nazli Jafri Shayin, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence has been constituted to enquire into the incidents.

    The panel may co-opt any other member, and take assistance of any person it deems necessary.

    “The committee shall submit its report within one month,” it said.

    It has been asked to “inquire into the sequence of events leading to the stranding and drifting of these vessels, and subsequent events.?”

    “Whether the warnings issued by Meteorological Department and other statutory authorities were adequately considered and acted upon” will also be looked into by the panel, the statement said.

    The panel will also enquire if “the Standard Operating Procedures for securing the vessels and dealing with disaster management were adequately followed,” it said adding lapses and gaps in the systems leading to the stranding and drifting of the vessels will also looked into.

    ALSO READ | ‘I thought I wouldn’t survive’: Rescued workmen from barge recall cyclone horror in sea 

    The Navy said its personnel, battling extreme weather, have so far rescued 186 of the 261 people who were onboard barge P305 and also two from tugboat Varaprada.

    So far 26 bodies have been recovered and 49 people who were on the barge P305 which sank on Monday are missing.

    TPM Modi announces Rs 1,000 crore for immediate relief in cyclone-hit Gujarat; NCP, Shiv Sena hits out at Centrehe Navy had so far maintained that there were 273 persons on board the barge but an official on Wednesday evening said that the company which operated it has informed that there were 261 personnel on board the ill-fated barge.

    “The Navy’s Search and Rescue (SAR) operations off Mumbai and Gujarat entered its third day today.

    Naval ships and aircraft are presently undertaking SAR of the missing crew members of Accommodation Barge P-305, which sank on Monday 35 miles off Mumbai,” the spokesperson said.

    Warships INS Kochi, INS Kolkata, INS Beas, INS Betwa, INS Teg, P8I maritime surveillance aircraft, Chetak, ALH & Seaking helicopters are involved in the SAR operations.

    “INS Kochi which entered Mumbai harbour on Wednesday to disembark 125 survivors and mortal remains of four crew members, was immediately sailed out in the evening again to continue the search effort.

    “INS Kolkata is scheduled to enter Mumbai harbour during the night to disembark the remaining survivors rescued from barge P-305 and Tug ‘Varapradha’ as well as the mortal remains of 18 crew members recovered during the operation,” he said.

    On completion of its operations off Gujarat coast, INS Talwar has also been diverted to conjoin the other three naval ships searching for the missing crew of barge P-305, off Mumbai.

    INS Talwar was the ‘OnScene Coordinator’ off Gujarat coast and assisted Support Station 3 (SS-3) and Drill Ship Sagar Bhushan, which are now being safely towed back to Mumbai by ONGC support vessels, he said.

    Food and water to the 300 odd crew members of these vessels was also provided by naval helicopters from Mumbai, earlier in the day,” he said.

    “As of now, 186 crew members of Accommodation barge P-305, and two from Tug ‘Varapradha’ have been rescued by Navy ships and aircraft.

    A total of 26 mortal remains of the crew of Barge P305 have been recovered so far,” he said.

    “Search and rescue operations are still. However, the chances of finding more survivors are getting bleaker by the hour,” an official said.

    All personnel on board two other barges and an oil rig rendered adrift hours before the “very severe cyclonic storm” made landfall on the Gujarat coast are also safe, a Navy spokesperson said.

    After reaching Mumbai, the rescuees recounted how they battled tidal waves as high as 10 metres and strong winds while trying to stay afloat in the cyclone-hit rough Arabian Sea for two days.

    Workmen rescued from barge P305 narrated their horrifying experience in their quest for survival.

    Some said they had almost lost the hope of making it alive back home.

    “It was a horrific situation on the barge. I had not thought I would survive. But, I swam in the waters for seven to eight hours with the determination to stay alive and was rescued by the Navy,” workman Manoj Gite told reporters here.

    Gite (19), a resident of Kolhapur, said as the barge started sinking, all workmen got worried and he along with others wore a life jacket and jumped into the waters.

    Asked if he would return to the rig again, Gite said he is not keen to go back and is contented to be alive after the nightmarish experience.

    Another workman, who was injured in the incident, thanked the Indian Navy for saving his life.

    “It is because of the Navy that we all are alive and safe today, otherwise we don’t what would have happened to us,” the workman said while fighting back his tears.

    ALSO READ | PM Modi announces Rs 1,000 crore for immediate relief in cyclone-hit Gujarat; NCP, Shiv Sena hits out at Centre

    All the 137 personnel on barge GAL Constructor were rescued on Tuesday by the Navy and Coast Guard.

    The 196 personnel on barge SS-3 and 101 personnel on board oil rig Sagar Bhushan are safe, the official said.

    Three barges and an oil rig with 695 personnel on board went adrift on Monday.

    These included barge P305 with 261 persons, cargo barge GAL Constructor with 137 personnel on board, accommodation barge SS-3 with 196 personnel on board and the Sagar Bhushan oil rig with 101 personnel on board, the official said.

    Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar said the ongoing SAR is among the most challenging search and rescue operations in the last four decades.

    Navy ships were deployed on Monday after receipt of a request for assistance for barge ‘P305’ adrift off Heera oil fields in Bombay high area with 273 personnel on board.

    The oil fields are around 70 km southwest of Mumbai.

  • Cyclone Tauktae: Police to probe why barge P-305 didn’t move away despite warning; Mumbai greenery sees massive destruction

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Mumbai Police will conduct a probe as to why the ill-fated barge P-305 which sank off Mumbai coast on Monday evening stayed in the area despite warnings about cyclone Tauktae, an official said.

    Yellow Gate Police in south Mumbai on Wednesday registered an accidental death report (ADR) in connection with 22 persons on the barge whose bodies have been recovered.

    The barge `Papaa-305′ or P-305 had 261 persons on board.

    Of these, 186 persons were rescued while 53 are still missing.

    Twenty-two were confirmed as dead.

    This barge as well as two other barges that were hit by the cyclone were deployed by Afcons for a contract it had got from state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

    The bodies of the workmen were brought to Mumbai by INS Kochi in the morning and 18 more were brought by INS Kolkata, the police official said.

    Police are trying to ascertain why this accommodation barge — it had living quarters for employees working offshore — did not move away despite repeated warnings about the cyclone, he said, adding that statements of those rescued are being recorded.

    “We will also seek the opinion of Director General, Shipping and other related agencies,” he said.

    Cyclone leaves trail of destruction in Guj, death toll reaches 46

    As many as 46 people were killed in the incidents related to cyclone Tauktae in Gujarat which made landfall on Monday night and left a trail of destruction before weakening and moving to Rajasthan, officials said on Wednesday.

    Thousands of houses were damaged and trees and electricity poles were uprooted as Tauktae brought along heavy rains and high winds.

    Of 46 deaths, 15 were reported from Amreli district in Saurashtra region, among the worst affected by the cyclone that crossed the state coast as an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” on Monday night.

    Eight people each were killed in Bhavnagar and Gir Somnath districts, an official of the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.

    Five were killed in Ahmedabad, two each in Kheda and Panchmahal and one each in Anand, Vadodara, Surat, Valsad, Rajkot and Navsari districts, the official said.

    A total of 24 persons were killed in wall collapse incidents, six died in tree falls, five died due to electrocution or house collapse.

    One person died when a mobile tower crashed, the official said.

    A total of 71 talukas (tehsils) in Gujarat were affected by the cyclone.

    As many as 30,000 structures including 28,430 kachcha houses, 74,493 electricity poles and 674 roads were damaged, 68,753 trees uprooted and power supply snapped in over 9,000 villages.

    The cyclone also killed 635 cattle, the SEOC said.

    According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone on Wednesday morning weakened into a “depression” and lay centred over east Rajasthan in the late afternoon.

    It was positioned around 150 km west-southwest of Jaipur and was very likely to turn into a well-marked low pressure area, the IMD said.

    In the next two days, “the remnant of the system” is very likely to move further north eastwards across Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, it said.

    It will cause light to moderate rainfall in Uttarakhand and heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, west and east Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, north Madhya Pradesh and west Rajasthan in the next 24 hours, the met department added.

    On Wednesday, a massive operation was undertaken to restore power supply to over 9,000 villages across Gujarat and clear roads, the government said.

    By afternoon, power supply was restored in 5,489 out of 9,685 villages, it claimed.

    A majority of these villages are located in coastal districts of Bhavnagar, Amreli, Jamnagar and Gir Somnath.

    Rural areas of Anand, Kheda, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Banaskantha, Navsari and Valsad were also affected.

    Also, 989 roads were blocked due to fallen trees and electricity poles, of which 899 have been now cleared, officials said.

    812 trees uprooted across Mumbai

    As many as 812 trees were uprooted across Mumbai due to the impact of the extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae that brushed past the city coast, the civic body said on Wednesday.

    According to a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) release, of the total trees uprooted by the strong winds triggered by the cyclonic storm, 70 per cent were of foreign origin.

    These included tree species like sonmohar (peltoforum), gulmohar, thespesia, rain-tree and royal palm among others, it said.

    The release said of the 812 trees which fell, 504 were on private premises and the remaining 308 on public places.

    Also, 1,454 tree branches fell due to the storm.

    Among these, 307 trees fell in Western suburbs, 256 in Eastern suburbs and 249 in the island city, the civic body said.

    The cyclonic storm, which made a landfall on the Gujarat coast on Monday night, triggered strong wind, heavy rainfall and high tidal waves, and Mumbai reeled under its impact for three days (from May 16 to 18).

    Under the influence of Tauktae, some places in Western suburbs received more than 300 mm rain, while the maximum wind speed of 114 mm was recorded in south Mumbai.

    The civic body said its garden department worked round -the-clock to clear all the uprooted trees and fallen branches, which were affecting movement of vehicles.

    However, the Mumbai BJP claimed that more than 48 hours after the storm brushed past the city coast, the civic body hasn’t removed the uprooted trees.

    Claiming the BMC hasn’t yet appointed any contractor for tree pruning yet, though a proposal was tabled before the Tree Authority Committee in March 2021, Prabhakar Shinde, the BJP’s group leader in the civic body, threatened to move the Bombay High Court against the Shiv Sena-ruled corporation.

    The BMC also assured regular tree audits besides planting new trees as per local conditions.

    Last year, when the cyclone ‘Nisarga’ hit the Maharashtra coast, 323 trees fell in Mumbai between June 3 and 6.

  • Cyclone Tauktae hits Gujarat farmers hard; mango, banana plantations worst hit 

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: Cyclone Tauktae, which claimed the lives of 45 persons in Gujarat, has also caused a huge damage to standing summer crops, with the Kesar variety of mango that is mainly grown in the coastal districts of Gir Somnath and Junagadh, bearing its brunt along with the coconut and banana plantations in parts of the state, farmers said.

    Coconut plantations in Junagadh, Gir Somnath, parts of Amreli and Bhavnagar, and banana plantations in Bharuch, Tapi, Vadodara, Anand and parts of Kheda, among other districts, were badly hit, in addition to other standing summer crops, they said.

    Hundreds of mango trees were uprooted in plantations across Junagadh, Gir Somnath and Valsad districts, with nearly all the mangoes falling to the ground from the trees in the cyclone that made a landfall Monday night, the growers said.

    Kirit Patel, who owns 75 acres of mango farm at Talala in Gir Somnath district, said that mango plantations in Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts, known for Kesar mangoes that are supplied across the country and also exported in large quantities, have suffered a massive damage due to the cyclone.

    “Nearly 40 per cent of Kesar mango trees have been uprooted, which is a huge damage, as a tree takes nearly 15 years for crop.

    Almost all the mangoes on the trees fell to the ground, and these unripe mangoes are of not much use to the growers,” Patel, who is also the Talala APMC chairman and a BJP leader, said.

    A mango grower from Visavadar in Junagadh district, also known for Kesar variety said, “There is not a single mango left on the trees. Many trees have been uprooted. We hope the government will provide us with some assistance.”

    Valsad district, where both Kesar and Alphonso varieties of mangoes are grown, also suffered a massive damage, the growers said.

    The situation of banana plantations has been no different.

    Gusty winds destroyed the entire plantations of this fruit.

    “There were 14,000 banana plants, out of which 9,000 were completely uprooted and destroyed,” said one grower at Upleta in Rajkot district. Another farmer said there were 21,000 plants, out of which 10,000 were flattened due to the cyclone, which he said, came at a time when the crops were almost ready. He said last year also they had suffered losses due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

    Sagar Rabari, a farmer leader and president of Gujarat Khedut Samaj, said, “The state did not witness such a cyclone in a long time, which caused a massive damage to the horticulture as well as summer crops.”

    All the crops that were damaged were almost ripe and ready to be stored at home or hit the markets, he said.

    Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had on Tuesday assured farmers that the government will undertake an immediate survey of the damages caused by the cyclone to the summer crops and mango, coconut and banana plantations, and assistance will be provided accordingly.

    Summer crops, such as bajra, moong, urad, summer groundnuts, sesamum, as well as vegetables and guar gum are mainly grown in Saurashtra and north Gujarat regions of the state, while north Gujarat districts grow bajra and groundnut.

    Paddy and bajra are also grown in large quantities in central Gujarat districts, which also grow mung.

    In Saurashtra, bajra, moong, groundnut, and sesamum are grown in large quantities during summer. Vegetables are grown across all the regions of Gujarat during this season. The cyclone made landfall between Diu and Una town of Gir Somnath district in Gujarat on Monday night.

    As many as 45 persons lost their lives in cyclone-related incidents in the state as it left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles, trees and damaging thousands of houses and roads.

  • PM Modi announces Rs 1,000 crore for immediate relief in cyclone-hit Gujarat; NCP, Shiv Sena hits out at Centre

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday approved assistance Rs 1,000 crore for “immediate relief activities” in Gujarat after conducting an aerial survey of areas hit by cyclone Tauktae in the state, an official release said.

    He also announced ex-gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of those killed due to cyclone in all affected states.

    Immediate financial assistance for the other affected states would be given after the respective state governments share assessment of the damage with the Centre, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) release added.

    The announcement was made after Modi held a review meeting here with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and top officials to assess the damage caused by the cyclone.

    Gujarat will get additional assistance after an inter-ministerial team which will visit soon submits its assessment, the release said.

    The prime minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured in the cyclone across Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and the Union Territory of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, it said.

    ALSO READ| NCP asks why PM Modi not surveying cyclone-hit areas in Maharashtra

    After arrival from Delhi at Bhavnagar airport, Modi, accompanied by Rupani, boarded a helicopter and conducted an aerial survey of affected areas in Gujarat and adjoining Union Territory of Diu to assess the damage.

    The survey covered the Una taluka of Gir-Somnath district, Mahuva taluka of Bhavnagar and Jafrabad taluka of Amreli district besides Diu, the PIB release said.

    Later, he chaired a meeting at the Ahmedabad Airport “to review the relief and rehabilitation measures being undertaken in Gujarat and Diu”, said the release.

    Chief minister Rupani and state Chief Secretary Anil Mukim were also present at the meeting.

    The cyclone, which made landfall between Diu and Una town of Gir-Somnath district on Monday night after barrelling along India’s west coast, left a trail of devastation.

    Modi assured the people of Gujarat that the Centre would closely work with the state government and extend all possible assistance for restoration and rebuilding of infrastructure in the affected areas, the release said.

    He also took stock of the coronavirus pandemic situation in the state and stressed the need to ensure that preventive measures are also taken, the release said.

    The PM expressed complete solidarity with all those who suffered due to the cyclone in different parts of the country and expressed deep sorrow to the families who have lost their kin during the calamity, it added.

    The Centre is working closely with the affected state governments in the wake of the situation post the cyclone, the PM said.

    Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi undertakes aerial survey of #CycloneTauktae affected areas in #GujaratPM announces financial assistance of Rs. 1,000 crore for immediate relief activities in StateDetails: https://t.co/Puf7iVx3Nw pic.twitter.com/UAPPKGQEVT
    — PIB in Gujarat (@PIBAhmedabad) May 19, 2021

    “We have to continue to focus on more scientific studies relating to disaster management,” he said, and called for stress on enhancing intra-state coordination as well as using modern communication techniques to ensure quicker evacuation from affected areas.

    Immediate attention should be given to repairing damaged houses and properties, the release quoted the PM as saying.

    According to the Gujarat government, 45 persons lost their lives in cyclone-related incidents in the state.

    Tauktae triggered heavy rains from Saurashtra coast to North Gujarat.

    Over 16,000 houses were damaged, more than 40,000 trees and over 70,000 electric poles uprooted, while 5,951 villages faced total power blackout, it said.

    Meanwhile, the NCP, which is one of the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), on Wednesday wondered whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas in Gujarat and Diu amounted to discrimination against Maharashtra which too was affected by the cyclonic storm.

    Taking a dig, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the PM was not conducting an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas in Maharashtra because he knew that the state is led by a strong chief minister unlike in his home state Gujarat.

    The prime minister reached Bhavnagar in Gujarat on Wednesday to review the situation in the state in the aftermath of the cyclone and proceeded for an aerial survey of Una, Diu, Jafarabad and Mahuva, an official said.

    After the survey, the PM is scheduled to hold a review meeting at Ahmedabad.

    “Today PM Modi ji is taking an ariel survey of #CycloneTauktae affected areas of Daman, Diu and Gujarat. Why not the same of the areas affected in #Maharashtra? Is this not clear cut discrimination?” Maharashtra minister and NCP’s national spokesperson Nawab Malik tweeted.

    The NCP is one of the constituents of the Sena-led state government.

    Before making landfall in Gujarat late Monday night, cyclonic storm Tauktae had battered many areas in Maharashtra, particularly in the coastal region.

    The cyclonic storm had left behind a trail of destruction in coastal areas of Gujarat, killing 45 people across 12 districts, officials said on Wednesday.

    “The prime minister is not conducting an aerial survey of Maharashtra to assess the damage caused due to the cyclone because he is aware that the state is being led by a strong and able leader like (chief minister) Uddhav Thackeray who is capable of handling all kinds of problems,” Raut told reporters.

    The Sena MP sarcastically said there was no need to criticise the PM’s visit to only Gujarat when the cyclone has caused damage elsewhere too.

    “The PM is touring his home state where there is a weak state government and the cyclone has caused a maximum damage,” he said.

    The cyclone has wreaked havoc in Maharashtra and Goa as well, Raut added.

    (With inputs from ANI)

  • Cyclone Tauktae: 22 bodies recovered from sunk barge, 55 still missing, says Navy

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: As many as 22 out of the 75 people missing from the barge that sank in the Arabian Sea after getting caught in a severe cyclonic storm are confirmed dead, , confirmed the Indian Navy.

    “Bodies of 22 persons have been fished out and they are being brought to shore.” 

    The barge ‘Papaa-305’ had 261 persons on board when it got caught in the storm earlier this week. Of these, 188 persons were rescued. In a statement the Navy said, “188 survivors including two ex Tug Varaprada rescued & 22 Brave Natures Victims (BNV) recovered so far. INS Kochi returned to Mumbai with survivors /BNV.”

    As many as 55 persons are still missing. The search and rescue effort is continuing, said the Navy.

     This barge as well as two other barges that were hit by the cyclone were deployed by Afcons for a contract it had got from state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

    The cyclone sank P-305, which had living quarters for employees working offshore, while two other construction barges lost anchors and drifted away.

    ALSO READ | East coast may see cyclone formation, likely to hit West Bengal, Odisha coast by May 27

    About 600 employees on the three barges belonged to Afcons. Besides the barges, one drilling rig of ONGC ‘Sagar Bhushan’ with 101 people on board (37 ONGC employees and 64 contractual workers), too drifted away from its location.

    Sources said all the 137 persons onboard barge ‘Gal Constructor’, which runs aground about 48 nautical miles north of Mumbai’s Colaba Point, have been rescued.

    Also, 201 persons onboard barge ‘Support Station-3’ as well as ONGC’s drillship ‘Sagar Bhushan’ too have been brought to safety.

    Cyclone Tauktae made landfall on Monday night on the Gujarat coast, which is dotted with oil and gas installations.

    While the offshore has fields producing oil and gas, the coast houses two big refineries and some of the busiest ports. 

    The cyclone, whose intensity is similar to the one that hit Gujarat in 1998, has weakened thereafter.

    Helpline numbers have been issued for assistance of the relatives of the rescued personnel.

    AFCONS Helpdesk and Support Team: Karandeep Singh – +919987548113 and 022-71987192 and Prasun Goswami – 8802062853

    ONGC Helpline: 022-2627 4019, 022-2627 4020 and 022-2627 4021

  • 22 out of 75 missing from sunk barge confirmed dead: Sources 

    The barge #39;Papaa-305 #39; had 261 persons on board when it got caught in the storm.

  • ‘I thought I wouldn’t survive’: Rescued workmen from barge recall cyclone horror in sea 

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Battling tidal waves as high as 10 metres and strong winds while trying to stay afloat in the cyclone-hit rough Arabian Sea for almost 12 hours, workmen rescued from a sinking barge near here narrated their horrifying experience in their quest for survival.

    Some of them said they had almost lost the hope of making it alive back home.

    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.

    Of the 273 people on the ill-fated barge, 184 have been rescued so far by the Indian Navy.

    “It was a horrific situation on the barge. I had not thought I would survive. But, I swam in the waters for seven to eight hours with the determination to stay alive and was rescued by the Navy,” workman Manoj Gite told reporters here.

    Gite (19), a resident of Kolhapur, said as the barge started sinking, all workmen got worried and he along with others wore a life jacket and jumped into the waters.

    The workman, who had joined as a helper on the barge only last month, said said he lost all his documents and mobile phone in the cyclonic storm.

    Asked if he would return to the rig again, Gite said he is not keen to go back and is contented to be alive after the nightmarish experience.

    Another workman, who was injured in the incident, thanked the Indian Navy for saving his life.

    “It is because of the Navy that we all are alive and safe today, otherwise we don’t what would have happened to us,” the workman said while fighting back his tears.

    One of the officials on the barge had claimed the cyclone was “not huge”, another workman said.

    “The official is now missing. We tried to search for him, but in vain,” he said.

    Another rescued workman said as their barge started sinking, he jumped into the waters in the middle of the night and tried to stay afloat.

    “I swam for about 12 hours before the Navy team rescued me,” he said.

    Another personnel, who works as a fitter at the rig, said the sea waves were higher than the height of the barge and there were high speed winds blowing around.

    “Before the Navy ship arrived, we were not sure what was going to happen. As we saw the naval ship coming towards us for rescue, our confidence went up. I was sure they will save me, hence I jumped into the waters and started swimming,” he said.

  • PM Narendra Modi reaches Gujarat to review damage caused by Cyclone Tauktae

    By ANI
    BHAVNAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Bhavnagar in Gujarat on Wednesday where he will review the situation and damage caused by Cyclone Tauktae. He was received by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani at the airport, who informed that the Prime Minister will conduct an aerial survey of the areas of districts hit by the cyclone.

    “He will conduct an aerial survey of the areas of Amreli, Gir Somnath, and Bhavnagar districts hit by Cyclone Tauktae,” Rupani tweeted. Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to visit Diu today to review damage caused by the cyclone.

    ALSO READ| 27 dead, more than 90 missing as Cyclone Tauktae batters Covid-stricken India

    On Tuesday, the Gujarat CMO informed that after the aerial survey the PM will hold a review meeting at Ahmedabad. “PM Narendra Modi will visit Gujarat on Wednesday to conduct an aerial survey of the areas of Amreli, Gir Somnath and Bhavnagar districts hit by Cyclone Tauktae. The PM will also hold a review meeting with CM Vijay Rupani and top officials of the State later in Ahmedabad”, Gujarat CMO as well in a tweet.

    Tauktae stands to be the strongest storm to impact Gujarat since 1998 as it battered parts of the state and left behind a trail of destruction along the coast, uprooting electric poles and trees, and damaging several houses and roads, before weakening, officials said on Tuesday.

    Cyclone Tauktae has impacted the weather conditions in several parts of Northern India including Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi where rainfall was witnessed today.

  • Cyclone Tauktae: Southern districts in Rajasthan receive heavy rains 

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Cyclone Tauktae has triggered heavy rains in southern districts of Rajasthan in the last 24 hours while it is expected to weaken in the next 12 hours, Met officials said on Wednesday.

    The cyclonic storm entered southern Rajasthan late on Tuesday night causing heavy rains in the region and it was centred 60 km southwest of Udaipur on Wednesday morning, a spokesman of the regional Meteorological Department said.

    In the next 12 hours, the cyclone is expected to weaken and turn into a low pressure area and move to northeast Rajasthan, he said.

    The cyclone caused ‘heavy’ to ‘very heavy’ rainfall at some places in the southern districts of the state in the last 24 hours, as per the Met department.

    Veja of Dungarpur recorded 232 mm of rainfall, Kanwa received 144 mm rainfall, Deval 142 mm, Dungarpur tehsil 139 mm and 133 mm rainfall was recorded in Dhambola, it added.

    Light rain accompanied by gusty winds was recorded in Jaipur on Tuesday night as well as on Wednesday morning.

    The state capital recorded more than 38.

    5 mm rainfall during this period which led to a significant drop in the maximum temperature, the spokesman said.

    According to the Met department, light to moderate intermittent rains are expected in Ajmer, Jaipur and some districts of Bharatpur division in the next 24 hours.

  • Cyclone Tauktae: INS Kochi brings 125 rescuees from barge P305 to Mumbai

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: 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.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    INS Kochi entering Mumbai harbour today morning alongwith rescued personnel from #BargeP305.#TauktaeCyclone #Mumbai @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard https://t.co/wxkAZTHIku pic.twitter.com/jaY0KsxGTU
    — Mayank (@scribesoldier) May 19, 2021