MANGALURU: All the 23 crew members aboard a barge which had listed after crashing against a breakwater near Mogaveerapatna, Ullal, on Saturday, were rescued after a joint operation by the Coast Guard and Coastal Security Police on Sunday.
The Coast Guard was forced to suspend the rescue operation on Saturday after 8 pm due to bad weather conditions, although they succeeded in rescuing four workers. The operations resumed around 5.45 am on Sunday.
The Coast Guard rescued 15 workers with their dinghy which was launched from the Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Amartya while the remaining eight men were rescued by a Coastal Security Police team headed by inspector Gangi Reddy.
Earlier, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U T Khader went to the office of the Coast Guard and directed the officials to launch a quick operation. A huge crowd gathered at Panambur and Ullal to witness the rescue. Though the sea was very rough on Saturday, it was calm on Sunday morning which helped in rescue operations.
The three-hour rescue operation was successful and all the remaining 23 workers were safely brought to the shore at 9 am. The barge crew and workers were seen congratulating each other on escaping death.
As there is demand for a permanent solution to the problem of sea erosion, infrastructure company ‘Dharti’ was entrusted with the work on construction of a breakwater at Ullal. The company assigned its dredger Ibis, a 2,964 GRT vessel with 27 crew members. The barge started work 42 days ago. After the barge hit the breakwater, it started sinking and all 27 crew were stranded on Saturday around 1.30 pm.
Minister orders probe
As Dharti infrastructure company carried out the construction of a breakwater at Ullal despite the sea being very rough, the government has asked for a detailed investigation into the incident.
Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U T Khader asked the district administration and Ports department to conduct a detailed investigation and file a report about the incident. “It is risky to venture into sea when it is very rough, and the weather conditions are bad now. However, Dharti deployed 27 workers to construct the breakwater and ignored the safety of workers. Hence, a detailed investigation should be conducted and action will be taken against the company if the report confirms any lapses on the part of the company,” he said.