New Delhi: At least 13 people were killed in Gujarat as the severe cyclonic storm Tauktae entered Saurashtra region early May 18, whipping up winds close to 180 kmph.

The cyclone has reduced in intensity and lay about 35 km west of Ahmedabad late in the evening, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Rain is expected to continue in Gujarat and Rajasthan for the next 24 hours as the storm further weakens into a “depression” near Jodhpur by May 19.

Earlier the storm wreaked damage on roads, power lines, trees and buildings. The Navy and the Coast Guard have so far rescued 320 people on board two barges in the Arabian Sea, near Mumbai.

Over 16,000 houses were damaged, and more than 40,000 trees and over 1,000 poles uprooted due to the cyclonic storm in Gujarat, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said. Many areas of Ahmedabad were inundated after the city received a staggering 75.69 mm of rain between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Ninety persons were still missing from Barge P-305 which sank 35 nautical miles from Mumbai amid rough seas. Till Tuesday evening, 183 survivors from the barge as well as all 137 persons on board another barge, the Gal Constructor, were rescued.

Naval ships INS Beas, Betwa and Teg joined INS Kochi and Kolkata in search and rescue operations (SAR) for Barge P-305, which went adrift off Heera oil fields in the Bombay High area on Monday with 273 onboard, a Navy spokesperson said. “SAR has also been augmented with a P-8I aircraft and naval helicopters,” he stated.

Gal Constructor went adrift due to engine trouble and ran aground about 48 nautical miles north of Colaba Point. “The crew have been airlifted and safely transferred to the nearby Wadrai beach,” the Coast Guard said.

The Navy spokesperson said SAR efforts were in progress off the coast of Gujarat for three other ONGC vessels — Support Station (SS)-3, Great Ship Aditi and drill ship Sagar Bhushan, which are 15-20 nautical miles southeast of Pipavav Port.

On the situation at Bombay High, ONGC said in a statement that due to Cyclone Tauktae three construction barges of Afcons working on a project of ONGC and one drilling rig of ONGC deployed for exploration purpose had been hit.

Source: thehindu.com