Barge wreck found as toll climbs to 70

MUMBAI: The Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Sunday recovered the bodies of four more crew members of barge Papaa305 (P305), which sank in the Arabian Sea after being clobbered by Cyclone Tauktae, pushing the toll to 70, even as search continued for more believed missing from the barge and tugboat Varaprada. Meanwhile, Navy divers managed to find the wreck of barge P305 on the sea bed.

In addition to the four bodies, the agencies claimed on Sunday they also found 17 more bodies at different beaches in Raigad district, Palghar and Valsad in Gujarat. While seven bodies were recovered from Valsad, one was found from Daman at Gujarat, one from Arnala beach in Palghar and eight from Alibag, Murud, Nagaon and Sasawne in Raigad district, Maharashtra.

“A total of 274 crew were reported missing on May 17, (261 from Barge P305 and 13 from Tug Varaprada). 188 survivors were picked up at sea (including 02 from Varaprada). 70 bodies were recovered at sea and 14 have been recovered along the coasts of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Thus, all 274 crew reported missing have been accounted

said Indian Navy officer. Final confirmation will however be pending till the identification of all bodies recovered is completed, the officer added.

The “extremely severe” cyclone, the most powerful one to barrel through the region in over two decades, caused gusts of wind up to 210 mph and ninemetre-high waves as it raced past Mumbai and made landfall in Gujarat on May 17.

P305 was one of the three barges that sank after the storm hit the Bombay High oilfield on May 17, where some of the country’s biggest offshore oil rigs are located. The three were deployed by Afcons Infrastructure for a contract from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited.

Seven days into the rescue and search operation, Navy divers on Saturday located the wreckage of P305, which had 261 personnel on board. “Barge P305 was located on the seabed after systematic search by INS Maker employing advance side scan sonar. The diving started in the morning and managed to pinpoint the sunken wreck of P305 by specialised teams on board INS Maker and no bodies have been found,” said a Navy officer.

INS Maker is now proceeding to locate the wreck of tug Varaprada and a diving operation will be conducted on Monday.