The State government has urged the Southern Naval Command, the Southern Air Command, and the Coast Guard Commander (Western Seaboard), to persist with the search for the missing fishers for another 10 days.
In letters addressed to the three top officers of the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, Chief Secretary K.M. Abraham said the government had received reports from fishers on the Thiruvananthapuram coast that bodies of their fellowmen who had lost their lives in Cyclone Ockhi had been cited in the high seas.
Inclusion sought
The fishers have also sought inclusion in the search and rescue teams on board rescue ships and interceptor boats. In view of this, the search for the missing fishers should be continued for 10 more days, he said.
The Chief Secretary, who had earlier spoken to the officers over phone, also wanted the Navy and the Coast Guard to mobilise sufficient number of ships at Vizhinjam for taking fishermen to the deep seas as part of their search, rescue and retrieval operations.
Fishermen should be taken on board the interceptor boats as well as ships of the Coast Guard and the Navy. He said the district collectors would mobilise a small contingent of fishers from Pozhiyoor to go in ships from Vizhinjam.
Facilities
One officer from the district administration would be deployed on board each ship wherever Coast Guard or Navy makes such a request.
Health Department would mobilise adequate treatment and storage facilities for the retrieved bodies at Vizhinjam and along the important coastal centres. Marine enforcement boats would step up surveillance on the coastal waters, particularly along Vizhinjam, Pozhiyoor and Poonthura areas, he said.