Tag: Indian Navy

  • IAF, Navy continue to ferry oxygen, other COVID related medical equipment

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force and the Navy have been relentlessly transporing the much-needed oxygen tankers, cylinders and other related medical equipment as the country continues to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. 

    Till Thursday morning, the IAF had made 166 international sorties clocking 820 hours of flying. The Strategic Transport lift aircraft C-17 and IL-76 ferried 120 containers totalling an airlift of 1002 Metric Tonnes (containers) in addition to 562 MT (other equipment).IAF has conducted 1,430 domestic sorties and has transported 665 tankers with total of 2267 flying hours, told the source. “Close to 11109 MT (tankers) in addition to 331 MT (other equipment) was ferried. In addition, 709 MT of mission load was carried by the Covid Air Support Management Cell,” source added.On the other hand, the nine dedicated warships of the Indian Navy under the Mission Samudra Setu-II have completed 11 international missions to the friendly countries which include Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Singapore, and Brunei.On Thursday, Indian Navy’s amphibious warship INS Shardul disembarked four ISO containers carrying 80 MT of liquid medical Oxygen at Kochi port.Operation Samudra Setu-II was launched by the Indian Navy for shipment of medical Oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment from various countries in support of the nation’s fight against Covid-19.The deployment of frontline warships including destroyers, frigates, tankers and amphibious ships of the Indian Navy for Operation Samudra Setu-II forms a significant part of the multiple lines of efforts, by the Government of India and the Indian Navy to supplement the Oxygen requirement in the country.As part of the operation, INS Shardul embarked 270 Metric Tonnes (MT) of liquid medical oxygen from Kuwait and UAE including 11 International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) containers, two semi-trailers and 1200 Oxygen cylinders. The ship arrived at New Mangalore Port on 25 May 2021 and disembarked with 190 MT of liquid medical oxygen comprising seven ISO containers, two semi-trailers and 1200 Oxygen cylinders.In total, the Indian Navy has ferried 910 MT of Liquified Medical Oxygen in 45 Containers in addition to the 11 such empty containers and more than 10,000 oxygen cylinders of which more than 5000 were filled.

  • Cyclone Yaas: Seven Navy teams undertake relief operations in Bengal

    By ANI
    KOLKATA: Seven Indian Navy teams from Visakhapatnam are taking part in relief operations in the aftermath of cyclone Yaas in West Bengal.

    “7 Indian Navy teams from Visakhapatnam, comprising 2 Diving and 5 Flood Relief Teams (FRT) undertake relief operations in aftermath of impending Cyclone Yaas at 3 separate locations-Digha, Fraserganj and Diamond Harbour in West Bengal,” said the Indian Navy on Thursday.

    Meanwhile, West Bengal’s Kolkata, East and West Medinipur districts are likely to receive moderate rainfall and experience thunderstorm with lightning during morning hours of Thursday.

    ALSO READ | Cyclone Yaas: Night of fear fades into relief at day in Odisha

    “Thunderstorm with lightning and light to moderate rainfall are likely to affect parts of Kolkata, East and West Medinipur districts of West Bengal during next 1 to 2 hours from 5:55 am on Thursday,” according to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC), Kolkata.

    “The cyclonic storm Yaas weakend into a deep depression and lay centred at 23:30 hours IST of the May 26 over south Jharkhand and adjoining north interior Odisha. It is likely to move northwestwards and weaken gradually into a depression during next 12 hours,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Tragedy at Arabian sea: Barge P305 located on seabed, Navy continues search for 20 missing personnel

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Barge P305 which sank during Cyclone Tauktae fury six days ago was located on the seabed on Saturday, the Navy said, while it continued the search for 20 missing personnel from two vessels.

    There was no trace yet of nine personnel from barge P305 and 11 from tugboat Varaprada while the death toll on P305 rose to 66 with the recovery of six more bodies during the day, a Navy spokesperson said.

    Barge P305 has been located on the seabed after systematic search by INS Makar employing advanced side scan sonar while search for the missing personnel will continue through the night, he said.

    The Navy also deployed specialised diving teams to boost the search and rescue operations (SAR).

    “So far, 66 mortal remains have been recovered. The SAR ops are continuing through the night,” the spokesperson said.

    “To augment the ongoing SAR ops for the missing crew of Barge P305 and Tug Varaprada, specialised diving teams onboard INS Makar with side-scan sonar and INS Tarasa sailed out early morning today from Mumbai,” the Navy spokesperson had tweeted earlier in the day.

    ALSO READ | Barge tragedy: Cops go for DNA testing of 30 bodies to establish identity; Navy deploys diving teams

    Of the 261 personnel who were on barge P305, 186 have been rescued so far, 66 are dead and nine are missing.

    Of the 13 persons on Varaprada, two have been rescued.

    While all the 440 persons on barges Gal Constructor and Support Station 3 (SS-3) and drillship Sagar Bhushan were brought ashore to safety, Naval and Coast Guard vessels and aircraft scoured the waters off the Mumbai coast as the search and rescue operations entered the sixth day on Saturday.

    Struggling to establish the identity of almost half the victims of the P305 barge tragedy, police initiated the process of conducting the DNA testing of the bodies, an official said on Saturday.

    A Mumbai police spokesperson said the Navy has handed over the bodies recovered so far to the city police.

    As many as 41 bodies were handed over to the relatives after the completion of formalities, he said.

    Barge P-305, which housed personnel engaged in maintenance work of an offshore oil drilling platform of state-run oil and gas major ONGC, sank on Monday evening off the Mumbai coast during the cyclone.

    The barge had gone adrift in the cyclone fury before sinking.

    Some bodies are decomposed, some others have deep injuries and therefore they are beyond recognition, the official said.

    Blood samples of the deceased and their immediate relatives are being collected and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory at Kalina in Mumbai, he said.

    ALSO READ | Barge tragedy: FIR against its captain, others after survivor files complaint

    “After the samples are matched, the bodies will be handed over to the respective family members,” he said, adding that the DNA sampling process is expected to be completed in the next three days.

    RT-PCR tests to ascertain whether the victims had COVID-19 infection were also conducted, he said.

    Mumbai police have also announced they will conduct a probe as to why the ill-fated barge remained in the turbulent area despite warnings about cyclone Tauktae, an official said.

    The police have also registered accidental death reports in connection with the death of the personnel on the barge.

  • Yass: Navy puts on standby four naval warships; Bengal, Odisha brace for another cyclone

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy put on standby four warships and a number of aircraft on Saturday to deal with the possible impact of another powerful cyclone that is brewing in the Bay of Bengal and likely to hit parts of Odisha and West Bengal coasts on May 26.

    The Indian Navy carried out a massive relief and rescue operation after cyclone ‘Tauktae’ battered India’s western coast earlier this week, leaving behind a trail of destruction in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa.

    The meteorological department said a low-pressure area formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and move towards West Bengal and adjoining north Odisha and Bangladesh coasts around May 26.

    The Indian Navy said eight flood relief teams and four diving teams are positioned at Odisha and West Bengal to augment the existing resources.

    It said four naval ships have been put on standby with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief materials and medical teams.

    “Naval aircraft are kept ready at naval air stations INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali near Chennai to undertake aerial survey of the affected areas, casualty evacuation, and airdrop of relief material as required,” the Navy said in a statement.

    It said the Indian Navy is closely monitoring the movement of the cyclonic storm.

    “Headquarters, Eastern naval command, and naval officers-in-charge at West Bengal and Odisha areas have carried out preparatory activities to combat the effects of cyclone ‘Yaas’ and is in constant liaison with the state administrations for rendering assistance as required,” it said.

    Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (SMP), formerly known as Kolkata Port Trust, is monitoring the situation in view of the forecast of a very severe cyclonic storm, Yaas, and taking preparatory measures to avoid loss of human lives, vessels, and other properties, an official said on Saturday.

    The port authorities asked officials to ensure that all its vessels are taken inside the dock before the onset of the cyclonic storm, and no ships will be kept at river jetties, SMP Chairman Vinit Kumar said.

    Control rooms at Kolkata Dock System and Haldia Dock Complex have been set up, he said.

    “We are continuously monitoring the situation and will stop our operations at the right time. Control rooms at KDS and HDC have been manned by senior officers since May 21. Tugboats and launches will be available for any emergency,” Kumar said.

    A low pressure area formed over east central Bay of Bengal on Saturday, which is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and move towards West Bengal, adjoining north Odisha and Bangladesh coasts around May 26 morning, the regional Met Department said.

    The system is very likely to cross the coasts of the two states and the neighbouring country on May 26 evening, said Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) Director G K Das.

    Kumar held a meeting with the deputy chairman of the port and officials of various departments to speed up the process of making preparatory arrangements.

    The authorities hired and installed many generator sets at strategic locations, and will keep payloaders ready for any exigency, he said.

    The port also asked officials to make sure that frontline workers with hydraulic ladder, diesel or battery- operated saw and other equipment are stationed at various locations.

    CISF personnel and security staffers have also been urged to patrol the port areas to send first-hand information to the control rooms, the official added.

    The Coast Guard Eastern Seaboard has initiated pre- emptive measures forthe cyclone.

    ICG stations, ships and aircraft on Eastern Seaboard are on high alert.

    Coastal Radar Station in the States/UTs of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh,Odisha and West Bengal are continuously relaying messages both in English and vernacular languages alert merchant vessels, fishing boats, fisheries survey vessels, scientific research vessels, oil rigs, accommodation barges and support vessels operating in Offshore Development Areas (ODAs), among others.

    Though fishing ban has been enforced on the east coast, CG ships and aircraft at sea are broadcasting weather warning to fishermen who maybeoperating at sea and directing them to return to the nearest harbour for safety.

    Ships at anchorage have also been advised to monitor weather and takenecessary shelter as a safety measure.

    The Coast Guard is in close liaison with State/UT governments for sensitising the coastal populace, port authorities, oil rig operators for safety of boats,vessels and platforms, the release added.

  • First destroyer of Indian Navy to be decommissioned today

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The glorious era of Indian Navy’s first destroyer will come to an end with the decommissioning INS Rajput on Friday. It served the nation for 41 years.

    Commander Vivek Madhwal, Spokesperson Indian Navy told, “The solemn decommissioning ceremony will be held at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. Owing to the ongoing COVID pandemic, the ceremony will be a low-key event attended only by in-station officers and sailors with strict observance of COVID protocols.”INS Rajput, with the motto “Raj Karega Rajput”, was the lead ship of the Kashin-class destroyers built by the erstwhile USSR was commissioned on 04 May 1980 and participated in some of the most important operations and served in both Western and Eastern Fleets of the Indian Navy.“The Ship was part of Operation Aman off Sri Lanka to assist Indian Peace Keeping Force, Operation Pawan for patrolling duties off the coast of Sri Lanka, Operation Cactus to resolve hostage situation off the Maldives, and Operation Crowsnest off Lakshadweep.” told Madhwal. The ship also participated in numerous bilateral and multi-national exercises. The ship was also the first Indian Naval Ship to be affiliated with an Indian Army regiment – the Rajput Regiment. The keel of the ship was laid on 11 Sep 1976 and she was launched on 17 Sep 1977. The ship was commissioned as INS Rajput on 04 May 1980 at Poti, Georgia by His Excellency Shri IK Gujral, the Ambassador of India to USSR with Capt Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani as her first Commanding Officer. INS Rajput was constructed in the 61 Communards Shipyard in Nikolaev (present-day Ukraine) under her original Russian name ‘Nadezhny’ meaning ‘Hope’. In her glorious 41 years, the ship had 31 Commanding Officers at her helm with the last CO taking charge of the ship on 14 Aug 2019.The poignant ceremony will take place as the sun sets on 21 May 21, the Naval Ensign and the Commissioning Pennant will be hauled down for the last time onboard INS Rajput, symbolising the decommissioning, Madhwal said.

  • Soviet-made INS Rajput to be decommissioned on May 21 after 41 years of service 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: After 41 years of service, the first destroyer of the Indian Navy, INS Rajput, will be decommissioned on Friday.

    The Kashin-class destroyer, built by the erstwhile USSR, was commissioned on May 4, 1980.

    The ship participated in several key missions in the last four decades, including operation Aman off Sri Lanka that was launched to assist the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) and Operation Cactus to resolve a hostage situation off the Maldives.

    In addition, the ship participated in numerous bilateral and multi-national exercises.

    It was also the first Indian Naval Ship to be affiliated with an Army regiment — the Rajput regiment.

    “INS Rajput will now be decommissioned at a solemn ceremony at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.

    In her glorious 41 years, the ship had 31 Commanding Officers at her helm,” Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said.

    INS Rajput was constructed in the 61 Communards shipyard in Nikolaev (now Ukraine) under her original Russian name “Nadezhny”, meaning “hope”.

    The keel of the ship was laid on September 11, 1976 and she was launched on September 17, 1977.

    The ship was commissioned as INS Rajput at Poti, Georgia by IK Gujral, the then Indian Ambassador to the USSR, with Captain Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani as her first commanding officer.

    “Over her four decades of glorious service to the nation, the ship has the distinction of serving in both Western and Eastern Fleets,” Commander Madhwal said.

    “With the motto ‘Raj Karega Rajput’ firmly etched in their minds and indomitable spirit, the gallant crew of INS Rajput have remained ever vigilant and always ‘on call’ to protect the maritime interest and sovereignty of the nation,” he added.

  • 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.

  • COVID crisis: Navy, Army design oxygen recycling systems to alleviate shortage

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy said on Wednesday it has designed an oxygen recycling system that extends the life of the existing medical oxygen cylinders two to four times to alleviate the current shortage of the life-saving gas.

    The system is designed based on the fact that only a small percentage of oxygen inhaled by a patient is actually absorbed by the lungs, the rest being exhaled into the atmosphere along with carbon dioxide produced by the body, the Navy said in a statement.

    This exhaled oxygen can be re-used, provided the carbon dioxide is removed, it added.

    “To achieve this, the system adds a second pipe to the patient’s existing oxygen mask, which sucks out the air exhaled by a patient using a low-pressure motor,” the statement mentioned.

    India has been badly hit by a second wave of coronavirus infections, and hospitals in several states are reeling under a shortage of vaccines, oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds.

    The Navy said the oxygen recycling system has been designed by the Southern Naval Command’s diving school.

    “The system is now being progressed for clinical trials in accordance with existing guidelines, which are expected to be completed expeditiously, after which the design will be freely available for mass production in the country,” it added.

    All components used in the system are indigenous and freely available in the country, the Navy said.

    The Indian Army said on Wednesday it has found a solution for efficient conversion of liquid oxygen to low pressure oxygen gas that can be given to COVID-19 patients at their hospital beds.

    “Over seven days, the team of Army engineers in-direct consultation and material support from CSIR & DRDO put together a working solution using vaporisers, pressure relief valves and liquid oxygen cylinders,” the Army’s statement noted.

    CSIR stands for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and DRDO stands for the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

    “Since oxygen was transported in liquid form in cryogenic tanks, quick conversion of liquid oxygen to oxygen gas and ensuring availability at the patients’ bed was a critical challenge faced by all hospitals managing COVID patients,” the statement said.

    The engineers’ team used a self pressuring liquid oxygen cylinder of small capacity (250 litres) and processed it through a especially designed vaporiser and directly usable outlet pressure (4 Bar) with leak-proof pipeline and pressure valves, it mentioned.

    India has been badly hit by the second wave of coronavirus infections and hospitals in several states are reeling under shortage of vaccines, oxygen, drugs, equipment and beds.

    The engineers’ team was led under Major General Sanjay Rihani.

    A prototype with two liquid cylinders capable of feeding oxygen gas for 40 beds for a period of two to three days was made functional at base hospital in Delhi.

    “The team has also tested a mobile version to cater for typical shifting requirements in hospitals,” the statement noted.

    “The system is economically viable and is safe to operate since it obviates high gas pressure in the pipeline or cylinders and does not require any power supply to operate. The system is capable of replication in a quick time frame,” it added.

    India saw a record 4,529 fatalities due to coronavirus in a single day pushing the COVID-19 death toll to 2,83,248, while 2.67 lakh fresh cases were recorded, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.

    With a total of 2,67,334 fresh infections, India’s total tally of cases climbed to 2,54,96,330.

  • 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

  • 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