New Delhi: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Limited said it was “deeply concerned” by the boat capsize near Asarsa village on the Jambusar coast in Bharuch district, a coastal stretch within the Gulf of Khambhat known for oil and gas activity. The company stressed that none of those on board were its employees and that the vessel was neither operated, managed nor supervised by ONGC.
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ONGC noted that the personnel were engaged by Asian Energy Services Ltd (AESL) for a seismic survey assignment and were described locally as “survey workers” associated with oil exploration work in the estuarine waters. The Maharatna PSU said the clarification was necessary after initial local reports loosely referred to them as “ONGC workers”, prompting confusion over its role in the tragedy.
According to the Bharuch district administration and police, the small survey boat capsized in an estuary area near the Gulf of Khambhat on Saturday afternoon when it was hit by sudden, strong tidal currents during a high tide. Eyewitness videos circulating on social media showed the vessel losing control and overturning rapidly, giving the crew almost no time to react.
Officials said one person, identified as boat owner Rohit Makwana, died in the accident, while at least one worker, named as Naresh Rathod, remained missing as search operations continued.
ONGC underlined that Asian Energy Services Ltd is an independent energy services company that executes seismic and related assignments for multiple clients across the oil and gas sector. AESL typically undertakes land and marine seismic data acquisition and processing, and it had deployed the vessel and personnel under a private survey contract in the Jambusar area.
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Reports quoting company and local sources said the boat was returning from an oil exploration or seismic survey mission when it capsized due to the sharp rise in tidal waves in the estuary. AESL has been coordinating with authorities and has indicated that the incident was triggered by unforeseen tidal intensity, even as a formal probe examines adherence to safety norms and load limits on the vessel.
