Inadequate advance notice and miscalculations of cyclone Tauktae’s ferocity and its path may have contributed to a false belief that oilfield operations in the Arabian Sea need not be paused, said top sources close to ONGC whose vessels with 700 onboard were struck by the storm.
A drillship of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and three barges of private contractor Afcons working on the state-owned firm’s oilfield went adrift after their anchors gave away in the storm on Monday night.
A massive day-night operation by the Indian Navy, Coast Guards and ONGC vessels helped save those on the drillship and two barges, but only 186 out of 261 onboard accommodation barge Pappa 305 could be rescued. 37 persons are confirmed dead so far, while the remaining 38 are still missing.
