The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Nagercoil News : Rescue efforts in full swing in Kanyakumari district

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Nagercoil

Rescue efforts in full swing in Kanyakumari district

By S. Sundar

Wailing relatives of tsunami victims at Colachel. — Photo: A. Shaikmohideen.

NAGERCOIL, DEC. 27 . Rescue operations in the tsunami-hit coastal hamlets in Kanyakumari districts went on in a full swing, with youths chipping in with their mite. But the participation of the government machinery left much to be desired.

Even as the entire district was shocked by the devastation, the mourners today geared up for rescuing the victims. People from nearby areas, especially from Monday Market and Reetapuram, and volunteers of Christian missions, the Rastriya Swayam Sevak and the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, swung into action to speed up the operations.

As no men in uniform were around, the youths scoured the debris, pulled out the bodies and sent them to hospital by ambulance. Many were manning vehicular traffic outside the government hospital to help the ambulances come in and leave the hospital.

The youths, covering their mouth and nose with surgical masks, and a few wearing gloves, did not mind carrying the `fowl-smelling' bodies. They were spontaneously offered a lending hand to rush to the bodies to the mass burial ground at the first call.

Their service was appreciable at St. Mary's Higher Secondary School, opposite the hospital, where they helped in distribution of food packets, registering the names of victims to get government aid and taking the injured to the medical `ward' in the rehabilitation venue.

Many hospitals, even those in neighbouring Kerala, offered their ambulances.

Around 500 members were missing at Kottilpadu, which was razed to the ground, the Parish Priest, Fr. Xavier Lawrence said. Various agencies were offering used clothes to the victims.

All most all shops remained closed in the vicinity, including Colachel, Thengampudur and Parakkai, as a mark of respect to the dead. A few associations came out with posters to condole the deaths.

The villagers alleged that the police did not visit the affected areas to assist in rescue. Besides, the bus services at Colachel — the only mode of transport to rush victims to hospital — were abruptly withdrawn.

K. Sivam, Revenue Divisional Officer, Padmanabapuram, admitted that there was a delay in launching rescue operation at Colachel, but blamed it on the enormity of the damage. The officials were concentrating on other areas where voluntary services were not available. The officials were very much involved in distributing food packets and registering the victims for doles.

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