PM to visit cyclone Ockhi-affected Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep today

December 19, 2017 08:12

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today visit Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, to take stock of the situation left behind by cyclone Ockhi.

He will review the status of relief operations at Kavaratti, Kanyakumari, and Thiruvananthapuram. During his visit, he will also meet officials and public representatives, and victims, including fishermen and farmer delegations.

The cyclone, which made landfall on Lakshadweep on December 2, has so far claimed 71 lives in Kerala and 14 in Tamil Nadu.

Thousands of houses and large areas of standing crops were damaged due to the cyclone.

The rescue and relief operations have helped in the evacuation of over 2,391 people from Tamil Nadu and 8,566 from Kerala, while over 600 fishermen of both the states are still missing after the cyclone rampaged through parts of south and western India.

A house-to-house verification process is underway to estimate the number of the missing fishermen.

The government has so far set up 112 relief camps for the affected people. It also deployed 13 ships, 4 aircraft and 1 helicopter of Coast Guard, 10 ships, 4 aircraft and 5 helicopters of Navy and 1 aircraft and 3 helicopters of Air Force for rescue and relief.

Image: PM Modi being welcomed on his arrival at Mangaluru, Karnataka. He will visit cyclone affected areas today. Photograph: PIB

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