VASCO
One person died dead, while five others were rescued and search operations were underway to locate four others when a barge went missing off the Goa coast on Thursday.
According to reports, the barge ‘Shri Krishna 8’ with 10 crew members on board had left from Jaigarh in Maharashtra on November 30 and was proceeding towards Goa.
The barge was to have reported to the Mormugao Port early Thursday morning but after the barge crossed Port Redi, the vessel went missing.
When the barge could not be tracked, the barge owners alerted the Coast Guard.
According to Coast Guard Goa DIG Arunabh Bose, the Coast Guard immediately pressed its Chetak helicopter and three coast guard ships for search and rescue operations along with a Dornier aircraft for a sortie from Ratnagiri.
"We received a call at 9 am on December 2 that the barge had not arrived at its destination. Coast Guard diverted its Coast Guard Chetak helicopter at 9.30 am and Coast Guard ship ‘Apoorva’ was sailed out immediately.”
“Meanwhile, a Coast Guard Dornier sortie was launched by the evening of December 2 and we even intimated Coastal Police and fisheries authorities, but no information was received due to bad weather and poor visibility.”
“Presently, one casualty has been picked up by a Coast Guard ship while two survivors have been traced and rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. Three other crew members have been found by three different fishing boats and have been transferred to the Coast Guard.”
“Operations are being continued by the Coast Guard to trace and rescue the other crew members of the ill-fated barge,” said Bose.
Former Goa Barge Owners Association President Raymond De Sa said the barge was supposed to be reporting in Goa on Thursday at 6 am.
"When the vessel did not arrive, we feared the worst as there was bad weather on Wednesday and Thursday. We hoped that there was no issue with the barge and the crew. However, we have now heard that the 5 crew members have been rescued while one crew member is dead," said De Sa.
Meanwhile, Dr Mayuri Velingkar of Chicalim Sub District Hospital said two patients were brought into the hospital by the Coast Guard.
"The patients could have been in water for around 24 hours and we have now sent them to GMC for further management. The patients are stable as of now," said Dr Velingkar.
