The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Death toll touches 4,500

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 30, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Death toll touches 4,500

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGAPATTINAM, DEC. 29. The toll in the tsunami disaster in the coastal district of Nagapattinam has touched 4,500 with the extrication of nearly 2,000 more corpses in the past 24 hours till this afternoon.

The District Collector, M. Veera Shanmugha Moni, told The Hindu that till this morning the total number of deaths reported was 4,332 (1,287 men, 1,445 women, and 1,600 children) but the toll had crossed 4,500 this afternoon.

The majority of the 2,300 bodies were recovered in Nagapattinam taluk comprising Velankanni and Nagapattinam coastal areas followed by 1,350 in Kilvelur, 90 in Vedaranyam, 370 in Tharangampadi and 450 in Sirkazhi taluks.

The Collector said 60 earth moving machines were used to dig pits for burying the corpses and also to remove the debris in affected areas. Mass burial of bodies was being carried out in Nambiyar Nagar, Ariyanattu Theru, Pattanacheri, Nagore and Velankanni.

More bodies were being extricated from the debris in Velankanni, Nagore and Nagapattinam coastal belt. Most of the bodies were decomposed and could not be identified. Mr. Moni said voluntary organisations and social workers were working with the co-operation of the police and fire service personnel to extricate corpses from the debris.

Two Navy helicopters were being used for relief operations in the coastal areas in the district and army personnel were removing the mechanised fishing trawlers that had landed on the Nagore-Nagapattinam rail track and also on the beach road in Nagapattinam. Mr. Moni said medical teams were administering tetanus toxoid injections to those sheltered in 96 relief centres. He made it clear that there was no threat of cholera or any other epidemic in the coastal areas.

The Collector said food packets and clothing materials were being provided by the Government as well as by donors to people sheltered in the relief centres.

G. Rajamahendran, secretary of Red Cross Society, Thanjavur, despatched 25 ambulances, 50 doctors and 150 volunteers to Nagapattinam on Sunday itself as per the advice of the Thanjavur Collector, J. Radhakrishnan.

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

Tamil Nadu