New Delhi: Hopes for survival of the four missing naval personnel after the sinking of the Torpedo Recovery Vessel (TRV A-72) near the Visakhapatnam coast on Thursday evening are fading by the minute, as the Navy continued its efforts to find the men, even as one Handycam (video-camera) and two life jackets (belonging to the ill-fated vessel) were recovered from the search area.
But there is no trace so far of the missing men, with many now starting to fear the worst. Of the four missing naval personnel, one is an officer and the remaining three are sailors. One sailor had died on Thursday when the vessel sank.
“Though no missing personnel have been found till this afternoon, one Handycam (video-camera) and two life jackets (belonging to TRV 72) were recovered yesterday from the search area,” the ministry of defence (MoD) said in a statement.
“As per the latest inputs, the search is going on in an area 80 NM (nautical miles) SSW (South South West) of Visakhapatnam catering for the prevailing drift and currents,” the MoD further said.
“A full scale Search and Rescue (SAR) operation is in progress by the Indian Navy for the four personnel reported missing in a mishap on November 6.
Nine ships of the Eastern Fleet and a few aircraft, including Boeing P8I, Dorniers, Sea King 42C and Chetak helicopters have since been deployed (through day and night) to search for the missing personnel,” the MoD added. The Navy has already ordered a Board of Inquiry into the tragic incident.
