The Hindu : Kerala / Kozhikode News : Man dies of panic; 6,000 families in relief camps

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 29, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Kozhikode

Man dies of panic; 6,000 families in relief camps

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE, DEC. 28. A person here today died of panic after hearing reports of yet another tsunami lashing the coastal areas.

Saidalavi, 60, who reached the relief camp at Panniyankara in the city last night died of heart attack, according to revenue officials.

As many as 6,000-odd families living in the coastal areas were shifted to relief camps set up by the district administration in the wake of fresh tsunami threat. Sixteen relief camps were opened in Kozhikode, 12 in Vadakara and 20 in Koilandi.

The District Collector, Rachna Shah, said here today that the revenue officials took the step fearing that the high turbulence in the Arabian Sea might affect the Malabar Coast. Most of the families staying in the camps returned to their houses today.

Child's body

The body of eight-year-old Blessy, a resident of Chelannur here, who was killed in tsunami havoc at Velankanni on Sunday, was brought home today. Blessy is a third standard student of the Providence Girls High School here.

Her father, Lawrence(52) who was also injured in the deluge, accompanied the body.

The family had gone to Velankanni on a pilgrimage. The whereabouts of Lawrence's wife, Mariam(48), and daughter Bincy(6), also a student of the Providence School, is not known.

Ms. Rachna Shah, the Mayor, Thottathil Raveendran, among others, placed wreaths on the body of Blessy. After a mass at the St. Josephs church, the body was buried at the West Hill cemetery. The coastal stretch between Ponnani and Palapetty witnessed exodus of people in the wake of a scare of a fresh tsunami onslaught. Residents in the stretch left their homes in panic as police and revenue officials announced an alarm.

More panic was experienced as KSEB authorities switched off power at Velliancode, Kadavanad and Ponnani town too as a precautionary measure.

People sought refuge at A.V. High School, Palapetty Government High School, and the Velliri Government Lower Primary School.

Travel tour operators plied their vehicle to transport people, free of cost.

The Tahasildar, K.K. Gopalakrishnan Nair, the Municipal Chairperson, C. Haridas, and the Circle Inspector, T.P. Dileep, supervised the operations. The people returned to their residences after 5 a.m.

More than 300 fishing boats from other coastal districts have sought haven at the Ponnani port.

Over 100 families were evacuated from areas such as Koottai, Azhimugham, Paravanna, Puthur, and Tanur of Tirur taluk.

Rs. 81-lakh damage

The Deputy Director Fisheries, S. Selvest, said the primary estimate of damage caused in the Kozhikode district due to the sea turbulence triggered by the tsunami was Rs.81.46 lakhs. This included damage suffered to boats, fishing implements, etc.

Limping back

Our Staff Reporter writes from Kannur:

The coastal areas here hit by the quake-triggered waves were limping back to normality as no turbulence in the sea was reported today.

The fishermen communities here who suffered huge damages to their fishing crafts and implement, however would take some more time to come to terms with the destruction of the means of their livelihood. The total loss of properties in the coastal areas including Thalassery, Ayikkara, Ramanthali and other places was estimated at Rs. 2.3 crores. Fishermen in the Gopalpetta area near Thalassery that witnessed destruction of nearly 50 fibre fishing crafts were facing days of penury as most of them had lost their means of living.

Hundreds of families in the coastal areas here left their houses late last night following the warning that the tidal waves might recur. Most of the families who had been living in relief camps opened over the past few days returned to their houses.

The Speaker, Therambil Ramakrishnan, today visited the calamity-hit Ayikkara. After hearing the grievances of fishermen, he said he would convey them to the Government.

CPI(M) gesture

The CPI(M) district committee here today despatched clothes and other fabric items worth Rs. 2 lakhs to be distributed among the victims of seismic waves in the Kollam district. The CPI(M) district secretary, M.V. Govindan, MLA, said the items including bed-sheets, lungis and other clothing materials had been despatched to Kollam in a special vehicle. He said that brand new fabric items had been collected by the party district committee from weavers' co-operative societies in the district.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section

Man dies of panic; 6,000 families in relief camps

6,500 DVDs seized at airport

Marad case: sixth witness examined