Cyclone Ockhi: Death toll rises to 19,over 600 fishermen rescued

Cyclone Ockhi: Death toll rises to 19,over 600 fishermen rescued

The total number of deaths caused due to cyclone Ockhi has reached 19,at least 690 people were rescued, while 96 were still missing,official sources said.

The death toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala climbed to 19, with six more bodies being recovered, the sources said.

Eleven of the dead are from the coastal areas of Kerala.

Yesterday, six bodies were recovered, taking the toll from seven to 13.

An India Meteorological department (IMD) bulletin said ‘Ockhi’ has moved further north-northwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred about 440 km west-northwest of Amin Divi, 870 km south-south west of Mumbai and 1,070 km south-south west of Surat.

It is very likely to move north-northwestwards for some more time and then recurve northeastwards towards the south Gujarat coast during next 72 hours, it said.

According to the sources, 690 fishermen have been rescued in combined operations carried out by the Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force.

Ninetysix fishermen are still missing, they said.

Sixtythree houses have been fully damaged and 74 partially. A total of 6581 persons have been shifted to various relief camps in the state.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reviewed the search and rescue operations in Tamil Nadu and Kerala with senior officials.

A total of 357 fishermen, including 71 from Tamil Nadu, stranded in sea due to Cyclone Ockhi, have been rescued by defence force personnel, she said.

A photograph on her official Twitter handle showed her inside a helicopter reviewing the search and rescue operations in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari.

“An update on the search and rescue efforts being done by the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force to save the lives of fishermen affected by #CycloneOckhi: 357 fishermen have been saved as of 10 am today,” she wrote on her official Twitter handle.

On her arrival in the worst-hit Kanyakumari district by helicopter from Thiruvanathapuram in Kerala, Sitharaman held discussions with deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam, ministers and officials.

A report from Kanyakumari said she visited some cyclone- hit areas in the district.

The defence minister assured authorities all help from the Centre and told officials to take steps to mitigate the sufferings of the people.

Power connection will be fully restored in a day or two in cyclone-hit Kanyakumari district, he said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan along with Union minister Alphons Kannamthanam held a high-level meeting in Thiruvanathapuram to assess the post Ockhi situation and relief and rescue operations.

The search will continue until all the fishermen are rescued, an official release said.

Sitharaman will visit some of the affected areas in Thiruvanathapuram tomorrow morning, the sources said.

Local people complained that there was no information about their missing relatives who had gone to the sea for fishing five days ago.

Local people also protested in coastal areas, including Alappuzha and Chellanam in Ernakulam district, on the alleged delay in rescuing the fishermen.

Some of them squatted on rail tracks and were removed by the police.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said 28 more boats, carrying 321 fishermen, which were caught in rough seas due to Cyclone Ockhi, have safely reached Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri coast.