Cyclone Tauktae: Indian Navy continues round the clock operations to rescue stranded people
May 18, 2021
New Delhi [India], May 18 : As the cyclone Tauktae causes severe damage to property and lives, Indian Navy continues its search and rescue operations, providing relief to the affected people.
The Indian Naval Ships - Beas, Betwa and Teg - joined INS Kochi and Kolkata for undertaking Search and Rescue (SAR) operations for Barge P-305, which sank 35 nautical miles from Mumbai (in the Mumbai Offshore Development Area)
A spokesperson of the Indian Navy said, "SAR has also been augmented with P8I and naval helicopters, who continue to undertake aerial search in the area. Since the commencement of the SAR from the evening of May 17, 180 survivors have been recovered so far."
In another operation, an Indian Navy Sea King helicopter has launched to rescue crew of GAL Constructor, which ran around North of Mumbai. The helo rescued 35 crew members of GAL Constructor, according to the spokesperson.
Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Tuesday informed that all 137 crew of barge Gal Constructor which had gone adrift under the impact of Cyclone Tauktae were successfully rescued and are safely ashore.
SAR efforts are also in progress off the coast of Gujarat for three vessels namely Support Station 3, Great Ship Aditi, and Drill Ship Sagar Bhushan, which are 15-20 nautical miles southeast off Gujarat coast (Pipavav).
INS Talwar arrived in the area and took over the duties of 'On-Scene Coordinator' for coordination of the SAR effort, informed the spokesperson.
The Western Naval Command, in coordination with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and DG shipping, has diverted five tugs to render assistance. Great Ship Aditi and Support Station 3 have been able to drop anchor. Meanwhile, OSV's Samudra Sevak and SV Cheel are connected to manoeuvre Sagar Bhushan, and the situation at present appears to be stable.
The sea continues to be extremely rough with sea state 4-5 and winds 25-30 knots (approximately 35 - 55 km per hour), posing a challenge to the ships and aircraft involved in SAR operations.
