Cyclone Tauktae: Carriers search hard for 75 missing ONGC workers

With each passing hour, concerns over the safety of around 75 missing workers present at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC) accommodation Barge, 'Papaa 305' (P-305), is mounting.

Of the total of 261 present on the Barge, around 186 have been rescued so far, said an official source close to the development.

Cyclone Tauktae, considered to be the most severe storm in the last five decades, caused grave damage to Barge P-305, which was located 35 nautical miles from Mumbai (in the Mumbai Offshore Development Area).

An Indian Navy official told Moneycontrol that INS Kochi and INS Kolkata are returning to Mumbai harbour with the evacuees.

On the other hand, other carriers like INS Teg, INS Betwa, INS Beas, P8I aircraft and a Seaking Helos are continuing with search and rescue operations.

The accommodation Barge had workers who were part of an ONGC project contracted to a consortium of companies led by Afcons International.

Afcons told Moneycontrol that all the cyclone-related standard operating procedures (SOPs) were followed by the company. In a statement, they said that the chartered Barge P-305 along with its marine crew was owned and operated by Durmast Enterprises.

When the Barge sent out a distress call after experiencing flooding and water ingress, a total of 261 people were on board.

"We are facing a weather challenge too. INS Kochi was near when the distress alarm was sent out. However, rescue operations were dampened by the extreme weather conditions then. We are continuing to nurture the hope that more people will be saved," said another source.

The sea continues to be extremely rough with Sea state 4-5 and winds at 25-30 knots (approximately 35 - 55 kmph), posing a challenge to the ships and aircraft involved in the operations.

In another operation, an Indian Navy Seaking helicopter was launched to rescue the crew of GAL Constructor, which ran aground North of Mumbai.

It reportedly had around 137 crew members on board. "ONGC, Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Afcons and the government are coordinating the rescue efforts," said another source.

Interestingly, ahead of the cyclone, the Indian Coast Guard had warned ONGC and also the Flag Officer, Offshore Defence Advisory Group (FODAG), to take appropriate safety measures.