11 more bodies found, barge captain booked

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 21

Rescue teams have so far recovered 60 bodies from the Arabian Sea near the spot where the barge ‘P305’ sunk on the intervening night of May 17 and 18 as Cyclone Tauktae ravaged past the country’s west coast.

Eleven bodies were recovered in the past 24 hours by the Navy and Coast Guard. Fifteen persons, who were on the barge, are still missing.

The police have registered an FIR against barge captain Rakesh Ballav and some others under Sections 304 (2) (culpable homicide), 338 (causing grievous hurt) and 34 (common intention) on a complaint filed by Rahman Hussain Shaikh, chief engineer of the barge who is among the survivors.

Navy spokesperson Vivek Madhwal said a survey ship would carry out an underwater search at the site to locate the wreckage of the barge. Also, it will search for the wreckage of a tug-boat ‘Varaprada’.