Mumbai: 19 May, 2021
Indian Navy’s Search and Rescue (SAR) operations off Mumbai and Gujarat entered its third day today. Indian Naval ships and aircraft are presently undertaking SAR of the missing crew members of Accommodation Barge P-305, which sank on 17 May 35 miles off Mumbai. INS Kochi, Kolkata, Beas, Betwa, Teg, P8I maritime surveillance aircraft, Chetak, ALH & Seaking helicopters are involved in the SAR operations.
INS Kochi which entered harbour on 19th May, to disembark 125 survivors and mortal remains of four crew members, was immediately sailed out in the evening again to continue the Search effort. INS Kolkata is scheduled to enter Mumbai harbour on 19th night to disembark the survivors rescued from barge P-305 and Tug ‘Varapradha’ as well as the mortal remains of 18 crew members recovered during the operation.
On completion of its operations off Gujarat coast, INS Talwar has also been diverted to conjoin the other three naval ships searching for missing crew of barge P-305, off Mumbai. As informed earlier, INS Talwar was the ‘On Scene Coordinator’ off Gujarat coast and assisted Support Station 3 (SS3) and Drill Ship Sagar Bhushan, which are now being safely towed back to Mumbai by ONGC support vessels. Food and water to the 300 odd crew members of these vessels was also provided by the naval helicopters from Mumbai, earlier in the day.
As of now, 186 crew members of Accommodation barge P-305, and two from Tug ‘Varapradha’ have been rescued by IN ships and aircraft. A total of 26 mortal remains of the crew of Barge P305 have been recovered so far.
Source: PRO Defence Mumbai
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