Barge P305 tragedy: Navy finds 11 more bodies; toll 60
MUMBAI: Four days after barge P305 (Papaa 305) sank off the coast of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea due to the extremely severe cyclonic storm that skirted the coastline earlier this week, the Indian Navy’s Search and Rescue (SAR) operations recovered 11 more bodies of crew members on Friday, taking the toll to 60.
Afcons Infrastructure Limited, which led a consortium that chartered P305 to complete a contract with state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in its Western Outshore fields, announced on Friday that it would provide compensation to the families of the deceased that would be a combination of ex-gratia pay-outs and insurance compensation and would range from Rs 35 lakh to Rs 75 lakh per family. The compensation would be “equivalent to balance period of service up to 10 years’ salaries” and would be paid to “not only the families of the deceased persons on its direct rolls, but also families of all deceased persons who were employed with its subcontractors,” a statement on Friday said. It also stated that it will set up a trust to support the education of the children of the deceased. ONGC on Friday announced it would extend an immediate relief of Rs 1 lakh to the survivors and Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased and missing crew members of P305. Afcons had on Thursday issued a statement claiming P305 was owned by Durmast Enterprises, and the master of the barge remained near the location even though the storm warning had been conveyed on May 14.
CM SURVEYS CYCLONE DAMAGE
CM Uddhav Thackeray on Friday visited Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, the districts hit the most by Cyclone Tauktae early this week, and assured relief to those affected, once the assessment is completed. Although the CM did not spell out the details, the state is expected to announce a package early next week.