Cyclone Ockhi: 2 more bodies found, death toll at 40

KOCHI: The death toll in the havoc caused by cyclone Ockhi in the state rose to 40 after two more bodies were recovered on Monday, the 10th day of the search operations to trace the missing fishermen. The defence spokesperson said that one body was recovered off Minicoy in Lakshadweep islands and another from near Kochi.
A total of 250 fishermen, including 189 from Tamil Nadu, trapped in the high seas in Lakshadweep area after the cyclone, have returned to Kochi, officials said.
Two fisheries research vessels, Silver Pompano and Matsyakumari-II, of Central Marine Fisheries research institute (CMFRI) and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), respectively, will conduct search at 140 nautical mile north of Alappuzha for five days to trace the missing fishermen and boats.
Following inputs from fishermen, an aerial search was carried out over Maldives after obtaining clearance through diplomatic channels, but no fishermen were found there.
"Nine ships and all available aircraft have continued the search operations. Long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8I searched over entire Maldives," a defence release said.
Officials also confirmed that Maldivian locals undertook search and have not located any fishermen on the islands. 'INS Subhadra', under routine deployment, transferred 1,500 litres of drinking water to 12 crew members on board two Tamil Nadu registered fishing vessels about 90 nautical miles northwest of Bitra island of Lakshdweep.
The ship also found two capsized fishing vessels and investigation revealed no survivors on board, which had been intimated to the state governments, they said.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard ships and aircraft are continuing their patrol. Officials said that some of the bodies were found entangled with fishing nets in partially submerged country boats. It took more than four hours for the Coast Guard divers to retrieve these bodies from the nets.
Meanwhile, Matsya Thozhilali Aikya Vedi convener Charles George said that the state and central governments should immediately take steps to trace around 39 boats with 400 fishermen on board.
"Of them, 14 boats carrying around 150 fishermen were last spotted along the stretch between Lakshadweep islands and Kollam. Matha, Arputha Matha, Tuya Anthonio-1, Mother of Velankanni, Vyakulamatha, St Catherine, Hannah, Cuckoo, St Antony, Vijovin, Taj Mahal, Azaral, All Saints and Barracuda are the boats feared to have been capsized or toppled. Crew members who have just returned from islands have spotted debris believed to be that of capsized boats. In addition to that, agencies involved in rescue operations in Arabian Sea are yet to trace around 25 boats carrying around 250 fishermen, which were last spotted north of Lakshadweep," he said.
However, fisheries officials said that these boats, which are on multi-day fishing expedition, should be safe as Ockhi had slight impact in these regions. "We have got some unconfirmed reports that these vessels are expected to be located off the Goa coast ," said S Mahesh, deputy director, fisheries, Ernakulam.