51 bodies recovered after barge sinks off India’s coast

Indian Navy says search, rescue operation underway for missing crew

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - A total of 51 bodies have been recovered from the Arabian Sea since a barge sank after being hit by a cyclone earlier this week, the Indian Navy said on Friday.

In a statement, the navy said 188 survivors have been rescued so far.

On Monday, the barge P305 was hit by Cyclone Tauktae and sank 35 nautical miles off the coast of the commercial capital Mumbai.

Indian Navy officials told Anadolu Agency that 24 people were still missing.

“Indian Navy is coordinating search and rescue operation with ships and aircraft for the remaining (missing) crews,” the Indian Navy statement said.

Local broadcaster NDTV reported that police in Mumbai have registered a case against the captain of the barge, following a complaint filed by a survivor that indicated the “captain ignored weather warnings”.

Tauktae made landfall late Monday in the western state of Gujarat with wind gusts of up to 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour that left a trail of destruction.

Kaynak:

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