Cyclone Biparjoy: Coast Guard rescues 26 from an oil rig off Guj, 24 still stuck

At the time of the rescue operation, 50 staffers were present inside the oil rig; 26 were saved and taken safely to the Okha coast guard station. The remaining 24 are stuck inside the rig as the operation was halted due to the cyclonic storm

Mumbai: Braving gusty winds and rough Arabian sea amid Cyclone Biparjoy, the Indian Coast Guard officials on Monday rescued 26 persons from an oil drilling rig — Key Singapore — 20 nautical miles off Okha in Gujarat.

Cyclone Biparjoy: Coast Guard rescues 26 from an oil rig off Guj, 24 still stuck

At the time of the rescue operation, 50 staffers were present inside the oil rig; 26 were saved and taken safely to the Okha coast guard station. The remaining 24 are stuck inside the rig as the operation was halted due to the cyclonic storm.

Inspector General AK Harbola of Coast Guard who heads the North West command said, “We have been telling everyone to vacate rigs and also told the merchant mariners and fishermen not to venture into the sea. After the staffers sought help from us, we launched one advanced light helicopter and we rescued 26 of them. We are continuing the operation, but it is difficult to launch a helicopter at night during the stormy weather. There is one Coast Guard ship namely Shoor, which is posted near the rig, but she can’t approach it due to rough seas as boarding will become difficult too.”

Harbola said that they had written to all stakeholders to return to their bases and avoid getting trapped in a cyclone which will intensify on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard has four Advanced Light Helicopters in Gujarat, but the other helicopters are kept in reserve as they will be required post the cyclone.

In charge of Okha rig Ritesh Gangully did not comment on the rescue operation. While Ayodhya Gaur, spokesperson of the Cairn Oil and Gas said, “Everyone at the site is safe. We are in touch with local administration and keeping precautionary arrangements in place.”

A senior official of the shipping department said that the rig on which the workers were trapped can withstand winds up to 150 knots, but a call to get the workers out was taken after a high-level meeting in Delhi on Monday.

Two years back, more than 100 persons on accommodation barges on Oil and Natural Gas Commission were killed as they decided to stay at sea during Cyclone Tauktae. As a result, three ONGC directors were suspended.

K Suresh, additional DG of Coast Guard West Coast said, “The cyclone is very far off from Maharashtra and it is closing in on Gujarat.”