The Kerala government today said intensified search and rescue operations are on to trace the 92 fishermen missing in high seas after Cyclone Ockhi hit the state's coast on November 29. 'Operation Synergy,' a joint rescue mission by the Navy, the Air Force, Coast Guard and state fisheries department had so far rescued 252 fishermen stranded in the seas in the aftermath of the cyclone.


Besides this, several fishermen had reached ports and  harbours in Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Lakshdweep, the State Minister for Fisheries Mercykutty told PTI. With this, more than 1,000 fishermen had reached shores safely, she said.


On the cyclone-related deaths, the Minister said of the 25 deaths reported so far, 21 were fishermen. A total of 292 fishermen had gone for fishing on November 29 from the Thiruvananthapuram coastal region and out of that 200 persons have already been rescued, she noted. -- PTI


IMAGE: A Navy helicopter rescues fishermen off the coast of Tamil Nadu in the wake of cyclone Ockhi.