Cyclone Tauktae has caused the disappearance of dozens of people, marking the most powerful storm to hit the Indian region in more than two decades. The cyclone consisted of winds up to 130 per hour when it hit land in India’s Gujarat state late on Monday. The natural disaster has killed more than 50 in the Gujarat and Maharashtra states already, with many more still missing as search and rescue attempts intensify as the storm begins to calm. Indian navy ships recovered the bodies of 22 people who were on a barge that sank off the coast of Mumbai as the cyclone came through earlier this week, according to officials. First responders are still searching for 55 more missing people, says navy spokesman Mehul Karnik.
Three ships and helicopters involved in the search attempts had rescued 184 people in rough seas with saves of up to seven meters. Another operation rescued 35 crew members of another barge that had run aground north of Mumbai, according to a government statement. Both of the barges were working for Oil and Natural Gas Corp, which represents the largest crude oil and natural gas company in India. The company states that the barges were carrying personnel deployed for offshore drilling when their anchors gave away due to the storm. Roughly 16,000 houses have been damaged by the cyclone, most of which in the Gujarat state.
Read More: Indian navy recovers 22 bodies from barge sunk by Cyclone Tauktae
