Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Safe homecoming for Velankanni pilgrims

By Our Staff Reporter

PATHANAMTHITTA, DEC 27. "It was a nightmare. But for God's grace, we too would have been trapped in the tidal surge," says T.C. Lawrence, a police constable attached to the Tiruvalla police station.

Mr. Lawrence was among a group of pilgrims from the Alappuzha Holy Family Church who reached Velankanni at 8.30 a.m. on Sunday. He said the devastating waves hit the shore in the next 30 minutes, creating panic throughout the coastal belt.

According to him, 20 members of the group were missing for about five hours after they fled the scene along with the crowds when the waves lashed the shore at 8.45 a.m.

"As soon as we arrived at the vehicle parking lots near the Velankanni shrine, we found several groups of people fleeing from their homes and shops screaming aloud `thanni vararthe. thani vararthe.' Realising the gravity of the situation, we moved towards a nearby lodge so that we could climb atop a multi-storey building in case of an emergency situation."

Eight children who were playing on the beach and four others, reportedly from Bangalore, were drifted away in the tidal waves, he said.

Mr. Lawrence said the devastation was horrifying and the casualty would be much more than the official version.

The pilgrimage team that left for Velankanni in two buses from Tiruvalla returned safe this evening.

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