Will extend help to bereaved, says Afcon
ON MONDAY, THE INDIAN NAVY RECEIVED A DISTRESS CALL FROM P305 AND DISPATCHED THREE SHIPS
MUMBAI: Afcons Infrastructure on Wednesday issued a statement claiming that the 26 bodies recovered by the Indian Navy during its Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in the Arabian Sea were crew members of barge Papaa 305 (P305) that sank off the coast of Mumbai on Monday evening after Cyclone Tauktae set it adrift the previous night.
The barge was anchored near a rig in Heera Oil Fields, roughly 40 nautical miles (72 km) west of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea.
On May 16, at around 10.15pm, all its 12 anchors broke away causing it to set adrift on the sea. On the afternoon of May 17 water began to enter the barge, forcing many of its 261 occupants to jump off deck. By 7pm, the barge sank.
“We know nothing can ever compensate for the loss of a loved one, but we will extend our fullest support including financial assistance to the bereaved families in this hour of their need,” Afcons said in a statement on Wednesday.
Afcons and consortium partner Halani-tes-nauvata chartered the barge to work on a project for the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in the Western Offshore fields in the Arabian sea.
The barge, owned and operated by M/s Durmast Enterprises Limited, had 261 personnel on-board when it sent out a distress call on Monday morning. The people on board comprised marine crew, labourers on contract, and employee of Afcons.
Till now, 186 of them have been rescued while 49 are still missing.
“Our immediate focus is to locate and rescue the remaining missing personnel as quickly as possible. The search and rescue operations will continue, and we are thankful to the unrelenting efforts of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard to locate all remaining missing personnel,” it added.