Cyclone Tauktae: INS Makar & INS Tarasa's specialised diving teams conduct search ops

Accounting for the aftermath of an underestimated Cylcone Tauktae, search and rescue operations of the sunken Barge P305 is being conducted for the fifth consecutive day. The Indian Navy on May 22 informed that the Search and Rescue operations for the crew of Barge P305 and Tug Varapradha will be augmented by specialised diving teams onboard INS Makar (with Sonar) and INS Tarasa.

The Indian Navy is carrying out unrelenting rescue operations to locate missing crew members of Barge P305. The ill-fated vessel sank on May 17, 35 miles away from Mumbai waters owing to Cyclone Tauktae. Currently, 4 naval warships have been designated to execute the rescue mission.

The crew were affected as the cyclonic storm 'Tauktae's brushed past the western coast on May 17, due to which the barge sank'.

The Indian Navy said to ANI, "to augment the ongoing Search and Rescue operations for the crew of Barge P305 and Tug Varapradha, specialised diving teams onboard INS Makar (with Sonar) and INS Tarasa sailed out early morning today from Mumbai for carrying out an under water search."

60 Bodies Recovered

At least 188, including two from the anchor boat Varaprada, have been rescued so far from the sunken Barge P305, the Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO) told ANI on Friday. As many as 60 bodies have been recovered from the barge. The search and rescue operations for the remaining crew is underway, the Defence PRO informed. It also stated that an underwater search by the Indian Navy Survey ship has been planned for locating wrecks of Barge P305 and Tug Varaprada, using specialised teams and equipment. 

A fleet of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)'s major production installations and drilling rigs are located in the area that witnessed the brunt of Cyclone Tauktae. Now, the aforementioned Cyclone has impacted weather conditions in several parts bringing some relief to Northern India amid peaked summer. 

Barge P305 Captain 'negligent'?

While rescued crew members have expressed their earnest gratitude for life-saving rescue operations by the Indian Navy, Chief Engineer onboard had posed questions directed to the Captain of Barge P305. He said that the Captain was 'negligent' hence, lives were lost.

A high-level inquiry has been initiated which will ascertain the reasons as to why, despite explicit warnings ahead of Cyclone Tauktae by the India Meteorological Department, over a hundred and fifty crew members were stranded on board in the high sea.