Tuesday, 18 May 2021: In the wake of the worst storm to hit the coast of Gujarat since 1998, over 90 people have been reported missing. A barge off Mumbai’s coast has been worst hit by the storm known as cyclone tauktae.

According to the Indian navy, out of the reported 270 people onboard the barge, about177 of them have been rescued.They saidrescue efforts are ongoing to find the remaining survivors.

Another 700 people onboard three other commercial barges are still stranded at sea in the wake of cyclone tauktae which has ravaged India’s western coast.

After its landfall on Monday, Tauktae weakened, but at least 12 people have already been killedby the storm. Personnel from India’s Oild and Gas Corporation were onboard the barge following their deployment for offshore drilling. The impact of the storm was too much for the barge’s anchors to bear. It began drifting moments later.

A spokesman for the Indian navy told the BBC it had dispatched three warships to save those aboard the three stranded commercial barges. Two of the barges are off the coast of Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra state, while the third is off the coast of Gujarat.

ONGC said it had also deployed boats to rescue its personnel.
One of the troubled barges, reportedly carrying cargo, had anchored and was about 14km from Mumbai's coast when it went adrift on Monday. The navy said the barge had run since run aground as was in a rocky patch of the sea. Everyone on board is reported to be safe.
The third barge, about 92km from the Gujarat coast, is attached to an oil rig. There are reportedly 196 people are aboard and another 100 reportedly stuck on the rig.

What is the impact of the cyclone?
Initially classified as "extremely severe", the cyclone made landfall in Gujarat state late on Monday with wind speeds of up to 160km/h (100mph).It narrowly missed Mumbai, but the barges adrift off the city's coast were unable to return to the harbour on time.

Winds have ravaged coastal areas in the western state of Gujarat, uprooting trees and electricity poles. In Saurashtra district, electricity supply has been cut as a precautionary measure.

About 200,000 people were evacuated across several states as the cyclone approached, bringing with it heavy rains and gusty winds.The storm has hit the region amid a devastating second wave of Covid-19 that has overwhelmed Indian hospitals.

On Tuesday morning, the (IMD) said in a tweet that the cyclone had further weakened, and would continue to weaken gradually in the next three hours. But authorities have asked people to remain cautious as some areas in Gujarat continue to witness strong winds.
Although Covid cases are declining in both states, the devastating effects of India's second wave are still being felt.More than 200,000 people in low-lying areas were moved to shelters, sparking fears of possible new coronavirus clusters in coming weeks.
The federal government has also ordered the vaccine drive to be halted in several coastal towns believed to be at risk.

The storm is also adding to the challenge facing India's hospitals. Mumbai moved 580 Covid positive patients from dedicated centres to civic hospitals as a precaution.

Rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force, (NDRF), and the Indian Army have been sent to severely-hit regions in Gujarat state, and the region of Diu.

Rains from the storm also killed six people in Kerala, Karnataka and Goa over the weekend as the cyclone moved along the western coastline.
Houses were destroyed and electricity was disrupted across several districts in these states.