96 missing after cyclone rips barge from anchor in Mumbai

More than 90 people were missing yesterday after a commercial vessel sank off the coast of Mumbai during the strongest cyclone to hit India’s western coast in 20 years,

A search and rescue operation was launched by the Indian Navy after wind speeds of 160km/h and 15m waves caused by Cyclone Tauktae ripped Barge 305 from its anchor, setting 273 crew members adrift in the Arabian Sea.

The extreme weather meant only 177 employees of the Indian state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation could be rescued before the boat sank. The Defence Ministry said it was still searching for the remaining 96 crew in “extremely challenging sea conditions”.

Three warships, maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters joined the rescue effort as three other vessels reported being in difficulty, although each of the crews, totalling 700 people, were said to be safe.

The death toll from the storm has reached 40, with 24 killed when the cyclone hit the western state of Gujarat on Tuesday.

Fatalities included a child crushed by a collapsing wall and an 80-yearold woman killed by a falling pole, said Vijay Rupani, the Gujarat state Chief Minister. About 16,500 houses were damaged, 40,000 trees uprooted, hundreds of roads blocked and 2400 villages without power, he added.

The storm compounded the country’s woes as it recorded 4329 daily deaths from coronavirus, a new record. About 100,000 Covid-19 patients were shifted to hospitals further inland that were less likely to be affected by the storm, although there were concerns the hospitals could become overwhelmed by the influx. There were fears of a renewed surge in cases in Gujarat as residents huddled together in tightly packed relief shelters.