Cyclone Tauktae: A powerful video – that captures the rescue of two people from a life raft – shows how challenging it was to carry out rescue operations.
Cyclone Tauktae: Visuals captured dramatic rescue of two people.
Mumbai/ New Delhi:
Extremely severe Cyclone Tauktae, which made landfall on Gujarat coast Monday night, affected thousands across six states – Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Goa – since its origin in Arabian sea last week before it finally weakened overnight. Massive rescue operations were undertaken and thousands were evacuated along the country’s western coast.
A powerful video – that captures the rescue of two people from a life raft – shows how challenging it was to carry out these operations amid strong winds and tough weather conditions. Visuals show INS Kolkata carrying out the operation.
INS Kolkata “rescued two survivors from the life raft of vessel Vara Prabha, and joined (the) INS Kochi for the SAR (search and rescue) of Barge P305 crew,” a Navy official said.
With 273 on board, Barge ”P305” was one of the two barges that went adrift off the Mumbai coast on Monday afternoon, hours before the cyclone hit Gujarat coast. The other one was GAL Constructor with 137 on board.
So far, 177 people have been rescued as part of Barge 305 rescue ops. Indian Navy shared updates on Twitter and posted visuals of rescue operations, stressing that the operations were conducted in “extreme weather conditions and very rough seas”.
#CycloneTauktae#Update
SAR Ops Barge P305.
177 personnel rescued so far.
First batch of 03 Rescuees brought in by #IndianNavy Helo.#INSKochi & #INSKolkata along with MV Offshore Energy & MV Ahalya continue with #SAR in extremely challenging circumstances.@DefenceMinIndiapic.twitter.com/Jiede7ucEu— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) May 18, 2021
#CycloneTauktae#Update
Search & Rescue Ops Barge P305 continued through the night by #INSKochi & #INSKolkata. Offshore Support Vessel Energy Star & Great Ship Ahalya have joined the effort.
132 personnel rescued so far in extremely challenging circumstances.@DefenceMinIndiahttps://t.co/9fbs7g8STl— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) May 18, 2021
The cyclone made landfall in Gujarat at around 8:30 PM on Monday as an “extremely severe cyclonic storm”, packing gusts of up to 185 kilometres per hour. By morning, it had weakened to a “very severe cyclonic storm”.
Tauktae is the first cyclone in India this year amid a battle against a deadly second wave of Covid, which has put tremendous pressure on the country’s hospitals.
Many have lost lives as the cyclone crossed Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat in the last few days.