1969 fishermen from Kanyakumari district rescued: Tamil Nadu government

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government said today that nearly 2,000 fishermen who had ventured into deep sea before Cyclone Ockhi crossed the coast of Kanyakumari were rescued and safely accommodated in coastal districts of various states.

Principal Secretary (Information Technology) T K Ramachandran said that 1,969 fishermen on 284 boats ventured into the sea just a day before Cyclone Ockhi crossed the coast last week.

"The fishermen hailing from Kanyakumari district are currently safe and were accommodated in coastal districts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Karnataka and Kerala," he was quoted as saying in an official release here.

He said senior officials from the fisheries department were taking the details of those fishermen and were providing basic facilities to them.

Ramachandran said steps were being taken for their safe journey to Kanyakumari district.

He said Chief Minister K Palaniswami has directed IAS officers from the state government to visit Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Lakshadweep to take the details of the fishermen who were successfully rescued.