38 members of the barge crew still remain missing as search operations continue

Hopes to find more survivors continued to dwindle further on Thursday as the search entered the fourth day with 49 bodies being recovered so far. Several members of the barge crew remain missing.

INS Kolkata reached Mumbai and disembarked the bodies of the victims who were found on Thursday along with the survivors and re-joined the search operations. INS Kochi has also re-joined the operations.

So far, 188 survivors (including two from tug Varaprada) have been rescued from the sunken barge that went adrift due to the impact of Cyclone Tauktae near Mumbai where it was stationed. Barge P305 had 261 people on board at the time of the incident.

Indian Navy ships worked through the night, using searchlights to trace any movement in the pitch-dark waters, as hopes of finding more survivors began to recede on Thursday.