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Cyclone Tauktae: Nine stranded on tug boat rescued
Bengaluru: All nine crew members of Tug Coromandel, a boat that was stranded at sea for over 24 hours, were rescued on Monday by the Indian Naval forces, according to Karnataka disaster management authorities
Bengaluru: All nine crew members of Tug Coromandel, a boat that was stranded at sea for over 24 hours, were rescued on Monday by the Indian Naval forces, according to Karnataka disaster management authorities.
Five of the stranded crew members were rescued by a boat, the authorities said.
“The tug drifted outside the port limits and ran aground rock,” said a senior official of the state disaster management authority.
According to the state disaster management authorities, the tug boats, Alliance and Coromandel, were supposed to return on the night of May 14. Out of the eight people on the Tug Alliance, three have reached the shore and are undergoing treatment in a hospital in Udupi, the authorities said.
On Saturday and Sunday, two bodies were recovered while three are missing, the authorities said, adding that among the two tug boats, three people are missing.
The nine crew members on Tug Coromandel had to remain at the sea during the onslaught of Cyclone Tauktae which continues to lash the coastal parts of Karnataka and neighbouring Kerala.
The Naval helicopter left from INS Garuda at Kochi, Kerala and after refuelling at Mangaluru airport, rescued the seamen who are now under medical treatment.
Meanwhile, heavy rains and gusty winds continue to lash the coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada. Human and property losses have been reported from three districts in the Malnad region - Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Shivamogga- which have also received heavy and relentless rains in the last two days.
At least six people have died due to the cyclone and its impact while 333 homes have been damaged so far. The total number of talukas or administrative units impacted has risen to 121 out of the total 178 in the state. Around 57 kilometres of roads have been damaged and 547 people have been evacuated so far, according to data from the state disaster management authorities. Around 104 boats have also been damaged along with 57 nets, the authorities said.
The cyclone comes as a double-whammy to Karnataka which continues to reel under the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic that has now shown signs of a surge in rural areas including those impacted by the cyclone. The cyclone has thrown life out of gear in these districts and has impacted Covid-19 appropriate behaviour, according to multiple people aware of the developments.
As per the meteorological department, Karnataka’s coastal districts are likely to get similar weather for the next two days.
