Kerala - Thrissur   

Panic after new wave warnings

By Our Staff Reporter

THRISSUR, DEC. 30. A warning issued by the State Government on the possibilities of a second tsunami strike created panic in the coastal areas of the district today with the sea remaining relatively calm.

People started fleeing from the coastal areas as soon as they heard of the warnings on television and from Government vehicles which made announcem- ents in this regard.

Chaos on the coast

In spite of repeated assurances from the authorities that there was no need to panic, it was difficult to pacify the people and chaos prevailed in the coastal areas.

People ran away from their homes almost barehanded as soon as they heard of the warnings. Some of them had trekked miles to take shelter in areas where they thought it safe.

For example, about 600 people from the coastal area of Kadappuram in Chavakkad Taluk had taken shelter in a school at Thanniam panchayat in Thrissur taluk. There was panic in Nattika and Talikkulam areas also.

However, there were many who had remained in their houses despite the panic created by the warning.

Fishermen called back

Fishermen, who had ventured out into the sea, were called back to the shore through mobile phones following the warning.

In Kodungallur area, where the authorities had been maintaining three camps since Sunday last, there was a fresh flow of people to the relief camps following the warnings of another attack of tsunami waves. The tahasildar of the area, C. Sudhakaran, told The Hindu that all steps were taken to provide shelter and food to those fleeing from the coastal areas. ``In fact we had actually begun the cleaning up operations of the areas affected by sea fury so that the nearly 1,600 people in the three relief camps could go back to their homes.

Cleaning up operations

The District Collector, Premachandra Kurup, a medical team, fire-brigade personnel and officials of other related agencies as well as non-governmental organisations and people's representatives had come to partake and supervise in the cleaning up operations.

``We received the warning message all on sudden and we immediately stopped the work to launch the precautionary measures to contain the consequences of the possible attack of fresh tsunami waves. Then there were reports that some people had taken shelter in the AMUP School, Edavilangu (about 100 people) and Asmabi College, Sree Narayana Village (about 300 people) and at the UP school at Perinjanam (six persons). Steps were immediately taken to provide all possible help to those people,'' Mr. Sudhakaran said.

Relief work

The tahasildar of the neighbouring Mukundapuram taluk, Sankaranarayanan, the additional tahasildar, Sankarankutty, and three deputy tahasildars, T.V. Venu K.K. Devassy and K.M. Jose, were in Kodungallur to help out in the relief operations there. The RDO, C.D. Kuriakkose, said that the administration would take steps to provide food and other amenities to the people who had taken shelter in various places.

``But I think most of them will go back to their homes by this evening and tomorrow morning as it has become known that it was a false warning.''

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