High-level panel to enquire into ONGC barges stranding in Arabian Sea

Three barges of Afcons were stranded in offshore areas during the severe cyclone

This handout photograph taken on May 18, 2021 and released by the Indian Navy shows stranded workers from a barge, which had gone adrift amidst heavy rain and strong winds due to Cyclone Tauktae, being airlifted by naval personnel on an Indian Navy Seaking helicopterduring an evacuation operation, in the Arabian sea. Credit: AFP Photo

Rattled by a large number of deaths, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has set up a high-level committee to enquire into the sequence of events leading to the stranding of ONGC vessels as cyclone Tauktae wreaked havoc in the Arabian Sea.

Three barges of Afcons, a contractor working on ONGC fields off the west coast with more than 600 people on board, were stranded in offshore areas during the severe cyclone.

Also read: 26 people aboard barge Papaa 305 killed in Cyclone Tauktae, 49 still missing

The committee, comprising Amitabh Kumar, Director General of Shipping; SCL Das, Director General of Hydrocarbons, and Nazli Jafri Shayin, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence has been constituted to enquire into the incidents.

"The Committee may co-opt any other member, and take assistance of any person it deems necessary. The Committee shall submit its report within one month," an official press statement issued here said.

The Terms of Reference of the Committee include inquiry into the sequence of events leading to the stranding and drifting of these vessels and subsequent events.

It would look at whether the warnings issued by IMD and other statutory authorities were adequately considered and acted upon and whether the SOPs for securing the vessels and dealing with disaster management were adequately followed.

The panel would also inquire into the lapses and gaps in the systems leading to the stranding and drifting of the vessels and make recommendations to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.

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