The Hindu : Kerala / Kozhikode News : Exodus of people from coastal belt

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Kozhikode

Exodus of people from coastal belt

By Our Staff Reporter

KOZHIKODE, DEC. 30. The district administration opened more relief camps today following the warning of a fresh tsunami onslaught in the wake of the aftershocks in the countries off the Bay of Bengal.

A mass exodus of people in the 70 km coastal belt of Kozhikode district took place as those living near the sea moved to safer places.

The District Collector, Rachna Shah, said the district authorities were maintaining the momentum of relief operations started on December 26.

"We are opening as many camps as possible. We will maintain this state of alert for the next 48 hours. We have appealed to people to be vigilant and cautious.

Food and water is being provided at the camps, besides facilities for medical aid."

The District Collector appealed to the people not to panic and to heed the warning till further notification.

The Additional District Magistrate, P. Balan, said more schools had been identified to set up camps away from the coastal areas.

The physical education college at East Hill, West Hill Polytechnic, Government Higher Secondary School, Eranjikkal, are some the centres where relief camps have been set up.

As many as 51 camps are functioning in the three taluks of Kozhikode, Koilandy, and Vadakara.

More than 1,000 persons have been accommodated in camps in Kozhikode, 2,000 in Koilandy and 7,000 in Vadakara.

All offices and banks in the two-km radius of the Kozhikode beach downed shutters after hearing the alert.

Patients evacuated

The majority of the 325 in-patients at the Beach Hospital were evacuated. As many as 200 were shifted to other centres such as the Institute of Maternal and Child Health. Patients in the District Ayurveda Hospital too were evacuated.

In Ponnani

In Ponnani town, the head post office, Ponnani Nagaram post office and South post office were closed following directives from the department head office.

Schools that did not have Christmas vacations declared a holiday.

The Velliancode Urban Bank downed shutters.

The Ponnani lighthouse flashed its light during the day to assist any vessel out in the sea. A few fishermen from Ponnai had earlier ventured out to the sea.

There was panic on the beaches of Palapetty and other areas in the wake of rumours of rising waters at Chavakkad.

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Exodus of people from coastal belt