CHENNAI: The death toll in heavy rain impacted by Cyclone Ockhi has risen to five, officials said on Friday. The Indian Navy is leading a search for 22 fishermen who have gone missing as torrential rains lashed Kanyakumari and Nagercoil districts that lie close to Kerala deep south.

Meanwhile, another fresh low pressure has developed and was fast approaching Tamil Nadu. The trough over Malay peninsula now lies as a low pressure area adjoining South Andaman sea, a weather official said.

“It is likely to move west-northwestwards and concentrate into a depression. If it turns into a cyclone, it will be named Sagar. Due to these two weather systems, heavy to very heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry today.

“Gale wind speed reaching 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph very likely along and off south Tamil Nadu. Sea conditions would be high along and off south Tamil Nadu coast. Fishermen are advised not to venture into sea during the next 48 hours,” he added.

Police said five fishermen from Kanyakumari district have not returned after they ventured out to the sea two days ago. The navy deployed a Dornier aircraft and an Advanced light helicopter (ALH) with divers.

Apart from this area, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli districts in Tamil Nadu continued to receive heavy rains for a third day. The cyclone threat has mitigated as the system, lying 70km south of Kanyakumari on Thursday, moved to the Arabian sea, weather experts said.

Thousands have left their homes, electricity was totally cut off, and disaster management teams are at work.

Ockhi was seen moving west-northwestwards across the Lakshadweep Islands. Gale winds packing speed up to 130 kmph was feared over and around Lakshadweep Islands. Winds are likely to intensify by Friday and gradual decrease thereafter, according to weathermen.

Five boats sank at Kalpeni in Lakshadweep island due to cyclone. No casualties were reported.

Schools and colleges remained closed in Tamil Nadu’s in 13 districts including Chennai, Kanchipuram, Kanyakumari, Nellai, Theni, Pudukottai, Salem, Dindigul, Villupuram, Madurai and Thoothukudi., Some parts of Nilgiris and Sivaganga districts also declared holiday for the day.

The Thamirabharani river in Tirunelveli district was in spate after the rains. Papanasam recorded 42 cm rain in just 24 hours.

Chennai and its surroundings received incessant rain on Thursday night, and a holiday was declared for schools.

Rain fury has left a trail of havoc and destruction resulting in severe damages in Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts causing floods, uprooting hundreds of trees and electric poles. At least 62 houses were fully damaged and 240 houses partly damaged due to heavy rains. The state set up 16 rehabilitation centres where 1,044 people are being given shelter, officials said.

With the effects of cyclone Ockhi continuing up to Chennai, police have blocked public access to the Marina beach. At one point of time, sources said, waves even crossed the shores of Marina.

Several flights were cancelled on Friday. Trains were running late.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisamy on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs400,000 to the kin of the five people killed in rain related incidents in the district.

In a statement, he announced the solatium to the famliy members of Rajendran, Kumaresan, Alexander, Saraswati and Vimal Singh, who were killed when a tree got uprooted and fell on them due to gusty winds in Kanyakumari on Thursday evening.

Indian air and naval forces on Friday rescued scores of fishers from coastal Poonthura and nearby fishing hamlets stranded mid-sea for the past two days after cyclonic storm Ockhi.

Weathermen say Ockhi may have moved away from Kerala’s borders of the Arabian Sea but intensified into a severe storm and is now west-northwestwards across the Lakshadweep Islands.

The Met department said it was very likely to intensify further during the next 24 hours and continue to move in the current direction in the next 48 hours. Extremely heavy rainfalls of up to 20 cm are likely over Lakshadweep and most places in Kerala.

It also warns of winds reaching speeds of 110-120 kmph, a storm surge of up to one metre, maximum wave height of 6.1 metres and further damages to houses and roads from flooding and power and communication lines by uprooting trees.

Fourteen deaths were reported from India, seven each from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and seven from Sri Lanka as trees were uprooted and power lines snapped under the impact of destructive winds at 130 kmph.

Kerala fisheries minister J Mercy Kuttiamma said they had so far rescued 214 fishers and admitted to hospitals, of them, two had died. Intense rescue operations were progressing while filing this report.

She said many more men remained missing, though exact numbers could not be ascertained. Many are not ready to leave their boats in the sea and let the forces airlift them.

A Japanese merchant ship rescued 60 of them. The Indian Navy brought them into the Vizhinjam port. Many of the rescued belonged to the southern district of Tamil Nadu, equally devastated.

“There is nothing to worry about; all are safe,” said Kadakampally Surendran, the tourism and temple minister who flew on a naval helicopter and carried out an aerial survey.