The company underscored it was "its moral duty" to look after the families
Afcons Infrastructure, whose chartered barge P305 with 261 personnel at the Bombay High offshore oilfield was wrecked by Cyclone Tauktae earlier this week, on Friday announced compensation to families who lost their loved ones in the incident.
The number of deaths on barge P305 that sank in the Arabian Sea five days ago rose to 51 today even as the Navy and the Coast Guard continued the search for the 24 personnel missing from the barge and 11 from anchor boat Varaprada.
A sum equivalent to "balance period of service up to 10 years' salary through a combination of ex-gratia payouts and insurance compensation" would be paid, Afcons said in a statement.
"While the modalities of the payments are being worked out, it is estimated that total compensation would range from Rs 35 lacs up to Rs 75 lacs per family," the company said.
A trust would be set up, the company said, to support through scholarships the educational needs of the children whose parents died in the incident.
Trauma and grief counselling will also be organised to help the families affected by the disaster, it said.
The company underscored it was "its moral duty" to look after the families.
Earlier today, Mumbai Police registered a FIR - which includes charges of "causing death by negligence" - against the captain of the barge, who is still missing, according to news agency PTI.
The case was filed after the barge's chief engineer, Rehman Sheikh - who was rescued after spending nearly 24 hours at sea, amid the wreckage of the barge - indicated the captain ignored weather warnings and chose not to move the vessel away from the path of the storm.
The Directorate General of Shipping has also ordered an investigation into the deaths and Mumbai Police has also filed 22 ADR (accidental death reports).