17 Kerala fishermen rescued after 5 days 321 cyclone-hit fishermen reach Maharashtra
trivandrum — Seventeen fishermen were on Sunday rescued after spending five days in the sea off the Kerala coast, which was battered by strong winds and heavy rainfall under the influence of Cyclone Ockhi.
Navy sources said 13 fishermen were rescued from the high seas by INS Kalpeni this morning and handed over to the authorities in Kollam. An Air Force chopper rescued four fishermen about 30 miles west of Kayamkulam and brought them to a medical college hospital here.
Four aircraft of the Air Force, three of the Navy, and 10 naval ships have been undertaking search operations since morning. Coast Guard ships were also engaged for rescue efforts.
On Saturday, two ships of the Coast Guard saved 10 people, according to an official statement.
A Chetak helicopter of the Coast Guard form Kochi rescued a survivor from the sea. Another ship has located a fishing boat stranded in the sea with nine people on board. It was being towed to safety, the statement said. About 20 boats with 203 people aboard have taken shelter near various islands in Lakshadweep, the statement added.
The fishermen community here on Sunday decided to launch their own rescue operations as 55 boats ventured into the sea to search for the 115 missing fishermen.
According to the latest reports, the cyclone Ockhi has claimed the lives of 10 persons with 475 fishermen rescued so far.
Rescue teams decided to step up their operations after a body in a highly decomposed state was recovered near the Vizhinjam coast earlier in the day. The boats, 40 from Poonthura and 15 from Vizhinjam, left the shores with food and water. —