Mumbai Police on Friday registered an FIR - which includes charges of "causing death by negligence" - against the captain of the barge that was carrying 261 people when it sank 35 nautical miles off the city`s coast Monday, as Cyclone Tauktae battered India`s west coast.

51 bodies have been recovered so far and 24 people are still missing five days after the incident, with the Navy leading rescue efforts that many say are now unlikely to find any more survivors.

According to news agency PTI, the captain is one of those still missing.

The case was filed after the barge`s chief engineer, Rehman Sheikh - who was rescued after spending nearly 24 hours at sea, amid the wreckage of the barge - indicated the captain ignored weather warnings and chose not to move the vessel away from the path of the storm.

"The captain said wind speed is 40 knots and it will remain between 11-12... not more than that (It was the) responsibility of the captain and master (of the barge)," Mr Sheikh, who was injured and is being treated at Mumbai`s Apollo Hospital, told his brother Alam Sheikh, another chief engineer.

Alam Sheikh also spoke to NDTV about a "hole in the barge" that raises more safety questions.

"My friend Anand told me about the hole in the barge and I immediately called the owner and informed him to get the vessel back. He did not respond. Everyone is responsible. The captain, owner and even ONGC... why did they not recall when there were warnings?" he said.

There were three barges - all chartered by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd for its contract with ONGC - in the area when storm warnings were issued May 14 and captains were advised to return to shore. 

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