Cyclone Tauktae | Death toll at ONGC accommodation barge rises to 37; 38 still missing

The death toll due to the mid-sea mishap at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) accommodation barge “Papaa-305” (P305) in Bombay High touched 37 on May 20, while the search for around 38 missing people is still on.

According to rescue workers, hopes are running out with each passing hour as it will be difficult for someone to sustain without food or water in mid-sea braving extreme weather conditions with the help of a life jacket. Cyclone Tauktae hit the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai in the early hours of May 17, 2021, where ONGC’s major production installations and drilling rigs are located. Leading to one of the largest mid-sea rescue operations by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, ONGC’s barge Papaa (P305) sank in the Arabian Sea nearly 35 nautical miles off the Mumbai coast, after water gushed into it.

At the time of the accident, there were around 261 people present in the barge, out of which only 186 are rescued by the Indian Navy so far. Total 75 people were missing and so far only 37 people are confirmed dead, said a source. Search operations are still on for the remaining 38 people.

According to a source from ONGC, the cyclone changed its path. In addition to that, unprecedented wind speed due to unexpected low pressure led to the tragedy, despite ONGC taking all the safety measures. Today, The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has rejected claims that the cyclone had changed its path.