Govt orders inquiry into ONGC western offshore mishap that took 26 lives

Questions are being raised why so many persons were still at sea despite forecast of Cyclone Tauktae; Company officials said other barges managed to reach safer location but cyclone changed its path

The Union government has ordered an inquiry into the incident at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s Western Offshore site, off the Mumbai shore that led to at least 26 confirmed deaths. Fifty-five persons went missing and scores of others were stranded.

Though a committee with Amitabh Kumar, director general of shipping, SCL Das, directorate general of hydrocarbons and Nazil Jafri Shayin, joint secretary in the ministry of defence would look into the lapses that led to the incident, the question being raised is why so many persons were still at sea despite forecast of Cyclone Tauktae.

The incident involved three construction