Agencies, Thiruvananthapuram
The toll in the Cyclone Ockhi rose to 35 as rescue teams fished out eight more decomposed bodies of fishermen off the South Kerala coast on Sunday.
With more bodied recovered from the sea, a pall of gloom descended on fishermen community along the South Kerala coast and neighbouring Kannyakumari from where more than 100 fishermen are reported missing ever since the cyclone left a trail of destruction on Thursday.
As many as 25 deaths were reported from Kerala and ten from South Tamil Nadu, besides causing injuries to scores of people and damaging property and crop worth cores of rupees.
While Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the affected areas in Kannyakumari, Union Tourism Minister Alphonse Kannanthanam visited the coastal belt in the Kerala capital to coordinate rescue and relief operations.
Amid tight security, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also visited the Vizhinjam fishing harbor where hundreds of fishermen were camping in anticipation of the return of their relatives.
Though scores of police personnel were deployed for the security of the Chief Minister, agitated fishermen blocked his vehicle and shouted slogan against the inaction of the government. Police had a tough time to make the way for the Chief Minister.
In view of the protest, he cancelled a visit to Poonthura, another worst-affected coastal belt. Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard continued their rescue operations, bring back 35 more fishermen who were stranded in the sea for more than 72 hours without food and medicine.
Ten ships and three aircraft were deployed for search operations off the coasts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Lakshadweep islands on Sunday. Earlier, a group of traditional fishermen in 55 fishing vessels ventured into the sea on Sunday morning in search of those missing in the cyclone Ockhi.
Not with standing the strong warning by authorities, the fishermen left Poonthura and Vizhinjam coast, alleging that the official machinery was not effective in rescue operations.
After a high-level meeting with the Chief Minister, Union Tourism Minister said adequate funds would be provided to Kerala for the rescue and relief operations. ‘’We are continuing our rescue operations as 92 persons from Kerala are still reported missing,’’ he added.
However, the weather office said the Ockhi over Southeast Arabian Sea further moved north- northwestwards with a speed of 14 kmph during past six hours and lay centred over southeast and adjoining eastcentral Arabian Sea, about 390 km west-northwest of Amini Divi, 910 km south-southwest of Mumbai and 1120 km south-southwest of Surat.
It is very likely to move north-northwestwards during next 12 hours and then recurve northeastwards during the subsequent 48 hours and weaken gradually. A report from Kavaratti said the situation in Lakshadweep was now limping back to normalcy after the cyclone hit the archipelagoon Saturday.
Steps were being taken to restore communication and electricity in affected areas. At least 68 fishing vessels with total 952 fishermen on board reached Devgad in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.
‘’All are safe. Maharashtra will completely look after everyone till weather permits them to go back,’’ Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted in response to the Defence Minister’s tweet seeking help. Meanwhile, official sources said as many as 6,581 persons have been shifted to 37 relief camps in Kerala.
As many as 74 houses were destroyed and 1,122 houses damaged in cyclone-related incidents in the state. The initial loss to property and crop was estimated to the tune of Rs 17.28 crore.
