The Hindu : National : Kakodkar to give 'emotional support'

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

National

National

Kakodkar to give 'emotional support'

By T.S. Subramaniam

The Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Anil Kakodkar, explains how the seawater rose in the pump house at the Madras Atomic Power station in Kalpakkam. — Photo: K. Pichumani

CHENNAI, DEC. 28. Sixty bodies were found on the shores near the township for employees of nuclear facilities located at Kalpakkam, 60 km from here. The dead included five employees of the nuclear facilities, 25 members of their families and 30 fishermen, said Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission.

He was addressing a press conference at the Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam. The township at Pudupattinam for the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) employees is about seven km from its nuclear facilities at Kalpakkam.

Some of the DAE employees and their family members died when they were taking a walk on the beach. Others were taking part in a mass in a church on the shores when the tsunami waves engulfed them, Dr. Kakodkar said. He said he would be camping at Kalpakkam to give "emotional support" to the bereaved families.

As the residential quarters on the coastline had been badly damaged, the employees and their families were temporarily re-located at another employees' township at nearby Anupuram. They were now returning to their homes because the electricity and water supply had been restored, Dr. Kakodkar said.

Baldev Raj, Director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, said that of the five employees who lost their lives, two each belonged to the IGCAR and the MAPS and one to the Directorate of Purchase.

When this reporter visited the township this evening, he found that giant waves had flooded scores of homes situated on the shore. The compound walls had been brought down and some houses had totally collapsed. Most of those killed were women and children. DAE officials said that when the waves came in around 8.45 a.m., children were playing on the beach. They could not see the waves because there was a compound wall on the shore. Those who stayed inside the church survived. Those who ran out were washed away.

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