Cyclone Ockhi: 25 rescued from Lakshadweep, 13 from Kerala coast

As rescue operations continue in full strength post the cyclonic storm 'Ockhi', Commodore G Prakash, the Commanding Officer of INS Venduruthy, said 25 people were rescued from Lakshadweep and 13 picked off the Kerala coast.

"We have rescued 25 people from Lakshadweep and picked 13 people off Kerala coast. The Navy is continuing conducting a massive search with 8-10 ships off Kerala coast. We also have three additional ships coming in from Mumbai, with food for almost 5,000 people. The Indian Navy is all out in this rescue operation," he told reporters here.

In the wake of rescue operations expanding onto Lakshadweep as well, Commodore Prakash revealed a large amount of houses in the area had lost their roofs, trees had fallen and boats capsised. He also warned locals venturing out in the sea to pay heed to what was being instructed by local authorities.

"This is an area where the chances of a massive cyclone developing are just 0.5 per cent. However, Cyclone Ockhi has seen rapid expansion since its beginning. Therefore, I would insist those venturing out in the sea to obey the instructions of local authorities," he said.

The deadly cyclone, which had claimed many lives, lashed the coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala on Saturday with torrential rainfall and gusty winds. It also killed seven people in neighbouring Sri Lanka and affected the lives of nearly 20,000 people.

On Saturday, several stranded fishermen were rescued during the massive search operations carried out by INS ships, while today the coast guards at different locations continued their efforts to rescue fishermen stranded at sea.