THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The INS Kalpeni today rescued 17 boats with over 180 people, who were stranded during Cyclone Ockhi, off the Lakshadweep coast, according to the Indian Navy.
Three bodies were recovered on Thursday off the Kerala coast, taking the death toll due to Cyclone Ockhi to 36, even as defence sources said search and rescue operations will be extended to International waters around Maldives. The cyclone which had earlier claimed around 30 lives (unofficial death toll) in coastal Kerala and over six lives in Tamil Nadu districts, earlier this week, dissipated over the Arabian Sea, sparing Gujarat from destruction.
Meanwhile, in Kerala, so far, over 690 fishermen have been rescued from the sea. The financial toll from the cyclone has been pegged at Rs 17.28 crore so far. In Tamil Nadu, around 70 fishermen are yet to be rescued even as the death toll is still in single digits. Cyclone Ockhi has also left the Lakshadweep islands devastated.
Meranwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged discrimination by the Centre towards the state in the aftermath of cyclone ‘Ockhi’. Vijayan said prime minister Narendra Modi had called the Tamil Nadu chief minister and enquired about the situation, but did not call the Kerala CM.
“Isn’t it discrimination that the Prime Minister called the Tamil Nadu chief minister to inquire about the cyclone and did not respond in a similar manner to Kerala?,” he asked. The chief minister alleged that the Centre’s attitude towards the CPM led government was exposed through this act.
Vijayan, under Opposition attack for the manner in which the rescue operations were handled, also said a section of the media was spreading false news about the state government.
