New Delhi: 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 Monda At least 146 personnel has been rescued so far from the barge P305 which is sunk on site. Aerial search commenced at first light with Indian Navy P8I on task, said Defence PRO on Tuesday. LIVE UPDATES The cyclone weakened into a cyclonic storm level & probably in another couple of hours it will become a cyclonic system which is a much lower category & by the time it reaches Gujarat coast in the late evening, it would have become a depression: NDRF Chief SN Pradhan #Watch | Indian Navy rescued a person from Barge P305 that went adrift in the Arabia Sea near Mumbai in the midst of an approaching #CycloneTauktae (Video Source: Indian Navy) pic.twitter.com/ZnR4iMS2vY — ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021 Search & Rescue Ops Barge P305 continued through the night by INS Kochi & INS Kolkata. Offshore Support Vessel Energy Star & Great Ship Ahalya have joined the effort.132 personnel rescued so far in extremely challenging circumstances: Indian Navy Two separate barges and a drill ship are adrift at separate locations in Arabian Sea. These three are collectively carrying 435 persons on board. Rescue efforts to pick up its personnel are ongoing. The SAR operations continued throughout the night and total of 146 persons from Barge P305 rescued #CycloneTauktae#Update on Search & Rescue #SAR Ops Helo airborne from #INSShikra Mumbai.#SAR for crew of Barge P305 in progress.#INSTalwar heading to render assistance to Barge Support Station 3 & Drill Ship Sagar Bhushan - adrift off #Pipavav Port (1/2). pic.twitter.com/y1AO84q1lF — SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) May 18, 2021 The Navy also informed, that these ongoing rescue efforts will be augmented by Indian Naval aircraft and helicopters, weather permitting, at first light on 18 May and the SAR efforts will be continued through the day. #Watch | High tidal waves are seen in the Arabian sea near Mumbai; visuals from Gateway of India.#CycloneTauktae pic.twitter.com/ypoO9a3dpn — ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2021 In view of Cyclone Taukate, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani last night held a meeting with officials of the coastal districts of Valsad and Gir Somnath at the State Control Room in Gandhinagar. Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Monday spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the impact and devastation caused by the Tauktae cyclone in the state. "Spoke to the Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah ji regarding the impact and devastation caused by the Tauktae cyclone in the state of Goa," said the Goa CM in a tweet. He further said that the Home Minister inquired about the damage and assured of full support to the state. Tauktae is expected to make landfall in Gujarat. IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra informed that the cyclone is very likely to cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district.
