Cyclone Tauktae: One more body recovered from Alliance Tug's cabin; search on for 2 others

One more body has been recovered from the cabin of Alliance Tug after the wreckage was successfully salvaged during a joint operation on Tuesday.

“The search is on for other two crew members, feared trapped in the cabin,” State Coastal Security Police Superintendent of Police (SP) R Chethan told DH when contacted.

The Tug Alliance, belonging to Underwater Services Company Limited, was assisting Mangalore Refinery Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) in disembarking cargo from Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) at Single Point Mooring (SPM) in the sea.

The tug had lost telecommunication and capsized in the sea due to the cyclone Tauktae. Three crew members swam to safety and were rescued by fishermen in Mattu and Padubidri. The bodies of two crew were washed ashore in Padubidri.

The remaining three crew members feared missing were suspected to have been trapped inside the tug boat’s cabin. For the past 11 days, members of the Badriya group from Bengre had been trying to salvage the tug and trace the bodies at Kadipatna beach.

On the directions of Udupi Deputy Commissioner Jagadeesha, members of the Yojaka company were involved in the salvage operations from Monday. The joint operation yielded results and the tug (121 deadweight tonnage, length overall 24 metres) was finally salvaged on Tuesday.

SP Chethan told DH that they found a body inside the cabin. The search for the other two officers in the wreckage would continue throughout the day.