At least 146 personnel have been rescued so far from the barge P305 which sunk after Cyclone Tauktae hit the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai on Monday, the Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO) said on Tuesday.
It also said that the aerial search commenced at first light with Indian Navy P8I on task.
Several of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)'s major production installations and drilling rigs are located in the area that felt the brunt of the cyclone.
As per an official statement of ONGC, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata - two ships of the Indian Navy and one Tug Boat of Afcons, one OSV (Offshore Supply vessel) of ONGC, Coast Guard vessel 'ICG Samarth' have been pressed into service for the rescue service of Barge 'Papaa-305' that started drifting after its anchors gave way.
Three more ONGC OSVs and two MSVs (Multipurpose Support Vessel) have been mobilized for the same purpose.
As Cyclone Tauktae continues to impact several states on the Western Coast including Gujarat, damaging structures, electricity lines, and uprooting trees, the India Meteorological Department on Tuesday informed that the cyclone is continuing to show a weakening trend.
"Extremely severe" Cyclone Tauktae unleashed devastating winds that reached speeds up to 190 kilometres per hour as the storm made landfall in Gujarat, damaging structures, electricity lines, and uprooting trees.
In a tweet by the meteorological department said, "The Cyclone continues to show weakening trend. Eye is disorganising, wall cloud is weakening."
( With inputs from ANI )
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