Around 184 out of 261 people onboard barge P305 have been rescued so far, officials said on Wednesday morning. It first went adrift and subsequently sunk at Bombay Hight some 175 kms from Mumbai after de-anchoring as Cyclone Tauktae’s fierce wind speed created havoc at sea.

A crew member of Barge P305 breaks down while speaking of the Indian Navy`s rescue operations. He was rescued by INS Kochi and brought to Mumbai. The rescue operation is still on.  

#WATCH | A crew member of Barge P305 breaks down while speaking of Indian Navy`s rescue operations. He was rescued by INS Kochi and brought to Mumbai.

A total of 184 people have been rescued so far, search and rescue operations are still going on.#CycloneTauktae pic.twitter.com/7e8JU3zcT5

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2021

The Navy’s Eye in the Sky, the P-8I aircraft, is airborne and looking for survivors at sea. A slight improvement in weather conditions has enabled naval helicopters to fly over the seas.

Sources in the Navy say there are many who are in the water, adrift since they would be wearing life jackets.

Three more rescue operations are ongoing at the high seas. The barge ‘Gal Constructor’ with 137 persons onboard has run aground about 48 NM North of Colaba Point. An Emergency Towing Vessel ‘Water Lily’, two support vessels, and Coast Guard Ship Samrat are in the vicinity for rendering assistance and evacuation of the crew.

Despite bad weather search and rescue operation continues around Gal Constructor. 70 people onboard have been winched to safety by coast guard helicopters.

Meanwhile, crew members of the cargo barge GAL Constructor spent harrowing 72 hours in the Arabian sea before the vessel ran aground near Alibag, south of Mumbai, in the middle of cyclonic storm Tauktae on Monday evening. Luckily, all of them were rescued by the Indian Navy.

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