Two barges with 410 persons on board have gone adrift off the Mumbai coast as the cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’ over the Arabian Sea intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm on Monday. The Navy has been pressed into service and rescue operation is underway. The barges, deployed for offshore drilling in Bombay High in the
Two barges with 410 persons on board have gone adrift off the Mumbai coast as the cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’ over the Arabian Sea intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm on Monday. The Navy has been pressed into service and rescue operation is underway. The barges, deployed for offshore drilling in Bombay High in the Arabian Sea, got de-anchored and started drifting. The oil fields are around 70 km southwest of Mumbai.
“Several other ships have been readied for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) tasking in the wake of Cyclone Tauktae that has wreaked havoc along the West coast of India,” a Navy spokesperson said.
Following are the top developments:
– All 261 personnel onboard barge ‘P305’, belonging to state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) are said, the oil major said. “All the personnel are accounted for at 1300 hrs and barge has also been “steadied”, an official spokesperson said
– A Navy spokesperson said, “On receipt of a request for assistance for Barge ‘P305’ adrift off Heera Oil Fields in Bombay High area with 273 personnel onboard, warship INS Kochi was sailed with a despatch for Search and Rescue (SAR) assistance.”
– “In response to another SOS received from Barge ‘GAL Constructor’ with 137 people onboard about 8 nautical miles from Mumbai, warship INS Kolkata has been sailed with despatch to render assistance,” the spokesperson said.
– “Ahead of the cyclone, the barge was anchored at a safe distance but with the impact of the cyclone, it got de-anchored and drifted. However, it has been steadied again and is brought under control,” the Navy said.
– As the cyclone is still active and yet to make a landfall, the situation is being constantly monitored.
– The spokesperson said the Navy has pressed the warship INS Kochi and other assets into service to meet any eventuality.
– Bombay High off the Mumbai cost is the largest oil and gas assets of ONGC. ONGC carries on offshore drilling from platforms in the Arabian Sea.
– As per a recent media report, ONGC produces 50,000 barrels of crude per day from the Heera platform. Typically, staff are taken for offshore drilling operations by air.
– As the cyclone raged past the Maharashtra coast and inched closer to Mumbai Monday morning, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport announced the suspension of operations from 11 am to 2 pm.
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