Mumbai Police files case against captain of barge P305; Navy says 51 dead in mishap

Mumbai, May 21: Days after barge P305 sank in the Arabian Sea, the Mumbai Police on Friday registered a case of negligence in the mishap against the captain of barge P305. The barge sank on Monday in the Arabian Sea, 35 nautical miles from Mumbai under the impact of Cyclone Tauktae.

 

 

 

The barge captain Rakesh Ballav, along with others, has been booked on the basis of a complaint by rescued barge engineer Mustafizur Rehman Shaikh. "A case has been registered against Barge P305 Captain Rakesh Ballav and others on the complaint of a barge engineer. The case has been registered under section 304(2), 338 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)," the police said.

 

 

Police also said it has launched a search for the Captain. According to the FIR, despite receiving alerts on Cyclone Tauktae approaching, Captain Rakesh Ballav and others did not make any arrangements for the safety of the staff on board, due to which the barge sank in the cyclone storm and many lost their lives.

 

 

The investigators will also seek necessary inquiry reports from the departments conducting the probe. The statements of more than 50 survivors have been recorded so far. Barge P305 started drifting after its anchors gave way off the Heera Oil Fields in Bombay High and sank on Monday as cyclonic storm Tauktae brushed past the western coast.

 

According to the Navy, as many as 188 people who were on the barge when it sunk have been rescued and at least 51 bodies have been recovered from till now with rescue operations still underway.

 

 

Apart from P305, 11 crew members of tugboat Varaprada are also missing. A massive search operation is underway to locate the missing personnel. Two ships of the Indian Navy, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata, three coast guard vessels and 14 other vessels owned by ONGC and chartered vessels are carrying out the rescue mission. Search and rescue operations are likely to continue for at least two more days.

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