Cyclone Tauktae leaves 13 dead in Gujarat, 80 ONGC workers missing

With super cyclone Tauktae hurtling past the coastal states
of Maharashtra and Gujarat on Monday and leaving a trail of
destruction, 13 people were reported dead in Gujarat, with more
than 16,000 houses damaged due to the gusty winds that accompanied
the storm.

Electricity supply snapped in more than 5,951 villages in Gujarat as 70,000 electric poles and 40,000 trees were uprooted by the
cyclone.

Also read: Watch: Mumbai woman escapes narrowly as tree falls due to cyclone Tauktae

Tauktae, categorised on Monday as an ‘Extremely Severe Cyclonic
Storm’, has currently weakened into a ‘Cyclonic Storm’ and will reportedly further
weaken and turn into a ‘deep depression’.

In Maharashtra, on the other hand, the Indian Coast Guard and
the Navy conducted a joint operation to rescue 637 people stranded in their
vessels, which went adrift in the Arabian sea due to strong winds as the
cyclone passed by Mumbai, as per a report by The Indian Express.

The vessels included one oil rig, four vessels
doing service work for Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) as well as a
separate freight ship.

Also read: Cyclone Yash expected landfall on May 24, heavy rains likely in Bengal: Report

“We have rescued 180 persons
from P305 which sank on Monday night. We are looking for the rest”, Defence
Spokesperson Mehul Karnik was quoted by the Indian Express as saying regarding P-305,
one of the barges which sank on Monday evening.

Reportedly, the search is on for at least 80 people who are
still missing.

Also read: Cyclone Tauktae batters Gujarat, photos and videos show trail of destruction

All 137 workers onboard Gal Constructor, a second barge
which capsized near Palghar, were rescued.

Similarly, all 101 workers in oil rig Sagar Bhushan and a
third barge named SS03 are safe, with rescue works ongoing for another ONGC service
vessel, Great Ship Aditi.