Death toll due to Cyclone Ockhi in Kerala climbs to 36, rescue operations continue

Thiruvananthapuram: Three bodies were recovered on Thursday morning off the Kerala coast, taking the death toll due to Cyclone Ockhi to 36, even as rescue operations are going on in full swing to trace the 96 missing fishermen.

Sources in the State control room monitoring the rescue operations, said with the recovery of three more bodies, the death toll in Kerala due to the cyclone has gone up to 36 and 96 fishermen are yet to be traced.

Representational image. PTI

While a body was recovered near Alappuzha by the Marine enforcement wing, two bodies were found by Coast Guard ship Vaibhav off Alappuzha-Kochi coast on Thursday morning, defence sources said.

An Air Force aircraft AN 32, flying between Kozhikode-Kochi coasts had sighted a fishing boat with about 15 fishermen on Thursday morning following which Navy has sent a Dornier aircraft and ship to the area which is close to Lakshadweep islands, the sources said.

Meanwhile, shipping services from Kozhikode to Lakshadweep began on Thursday with around 60 passengers boarding the high speed vessel from Beypore on Thursday morning.

MV Minicoy, the passenger vessel, berthed at Beypore had suffered some damage in the cyclone following which MMD officials had not granted travel clearance.

On Wednesday, the high speed vessel arrived at Beypore from the islands to ferry the passengers, the sources said.

Around 1,600 passengers were transported from Kochi to various islands of Lakshadweep when the shipping services resumed on 5 December, according to the sources.

Shipping services from Kochi to the Union Territory was stopped on 30 November to 2 December, causing immense hardships to passengers.

From Mangaluru port, MV Amini Divi, will sail for Lakshadweep with 46 passengers on Friday, the sources added.

Due to the cyclone, about 1,098 passengers had been stranded in the ports of Kochi, Kozhikode and Mangaluru since 30 November.