Cyclone Tauktae: Indian Navy recovers 14 bodies after barge sank
The Indian Navy on Wednesday said that 14 dead bodies have been recovered from the Arabian Sea two days after a barge sank due to Cyclone Tauktae (pronounced Tau'te). Of the 273 crew members, 184 have been rescued so far, the Navy said. The "extremely severe cyclonic storm" intensified over the weekend and struck Gujarat on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
Barge sank Monday evening; crew jumped into sea
Barge P305 sank around 7 pm on Monday as Tauktae raged. The vessel was engaged by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in contractual work. All aboard the barge reportedly jumped into the sea as the vessel sank. A tug boat with 13 members on board also reportedly sunk in the Arabian Sea during Cyclone Tauktae.
'Was in the sea for 11 hours before rescue'
14 bodies recovered; 184 rescued brought to Mumbai
Indian Navy Commodore Manoj Jha on Wednesday said that 14 dead bodies have been recovered from the Arabian Sea. It remains unclear which vessels the deceased belonged to and the process of identification is underway. The 184 rescued personnel from Barge P305 were brought to Mumbai by INS Kochi and INS Kolkata this morning. The search for others is currently underway.
All 101 workers on Sagar Bhushan rescued
The Indian Navy said: "INS Teg, INS Betwa, INS Beas, P8I aircraft, and Sea King helicopters are continuing with the search and rescue operations." The Navy also confirmed that all 101 workers on Sagar Bhushan (the oil rig) were rescued. Separately, 137 men on Gal Constructor (which ran aground near Palghar) and 196 men on SS03 (another barge that remains adrift) have been rescued.
13 dead as "extremely severe" Tauktae struck India
The cyclone had intensified in an "extremely severe cyclonic storm" (166-221 kmph wind speeds) Monday morning and did not weaken to a "very severe cyclonic storm" (118-165 kmph) until it made landfall in Gujarat around midnight later, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The cyclone made landfall in Gujarat's Saurashtra. It has claimed at least 13 lives, besides leaving a trail of destruction.
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, UP to experience rain
According to the IMD, the system has weakened into a "depression" with wind speeds reaching 35 kmph over south Rajasthan. Over the next two days, it will likely move toward Uttar Pradesh, causing light to moderate rainfall in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, and UP.
