Twenty-three more bodies were recovered from barge P-305, which sank off the Mumbai coast, taking the death toll to 49, while 26 persons are still missing as search and rescue efforts continued for the fourth day on Thursday.
“So far, 186 survivors have been rescued and 49 bodies recovered. INS Beas is at Mumbai harbour disembarking the remains,” a Navy spokesperson said.
Navy ships and aircraft continue to search for the missing crew members, the spokesperson said, adding that Coast Guard units had also joined the effort.
Accommodation barge P-305 sank 35 nautical miles off Mumbai on May 17 due to cyclone Tauktae. Three construction barges of Afcons Infrastructure working on a project of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), and one drilling rig of ONGC deployed for exploration purpose in Bombay High off the coast of Mumbai were impacted by the cyclone, ONGC has stated.
Followed standard practice, the predicted wind speed is only 40 knots, Afcons said.
