Cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’ wrought chaos in Mumbai as it disrupted airline operations, local train services on Monday, set adrift a barge with 261 on board, and shutdown the Bandra-Worli sea-link .

The barge at Bombay High was deployed by a consortium led by Afcons Infrastructure Ltd, a part of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group, to undertake an ONGC contract.

A spokesperson for ONGC said, “The barge is adrift at sea and the Indian Navy is undertaking rescue operations. The barge has been steadied and brought under control.” None of the personnel on board was from ONGC.

Mumbai International Airport closed down all flight operations for most part of the day. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport was initially closed from 11am to 2.00 pm 1400 hrs as a precaution. This was then extended till 6.00 pm and then to 10 pm as heavy rains continued to lash the city.

Casualty

PTI reported that six persons were killed in Maharashtra’s Konkan region in separate incidents related to the severe cyclonic storm while three sailors remained missing after two boats sank in the sea, a statement and officials said on Monday.

Of the six, three persons died in Raigad district, a sailor in Sindhudurg district while two persons were killed in Navi Mumbai and Ulhasnagar after trees fell on them, in Thane district, officials said.

Two boats anchored at the Anandwadi harbour in Sindhudurg district capsized, an official statement said, adding seven sailors were on board the two vessels.

CM reviews status

A media statement issued by the Chief Minister Office said that the coastal Raigad district reported 1,784 partial house collapses, Sindhudurg 536 collapses. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took stock of the situation in Mumbai and coastal districts and directed the district collectors to be vigilant and keep the system ready in view of torrential rains and strong winds in the districts. The electricity supply to Covid hospitals has been uninterrupted with alternative power supply operational, the statement said

Thackeray also had a discussion with Senior Scientist, Meteorological Department Krishnananda Hosalikar. The Scientist informed that today (at 5 pm) the cyclone was 180 km off the coast of Mumbai and the daytime wind speed will gradually decrease to 70 to 80 km per hour. The cyclone will hit Gujarat from 8 to 11 pm tonight. At that time the wind speed there could be up to 175 km per hour. However, he said that the situation in Maharashtra will return to normal, the statement said.

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