The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Relief operations apace in Nagapattinam, death toll 6,000

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 04, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Relief operations apace in Nagapattinam, death toll 6,000

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGAPATTINAM, JAN. 3 . Relief operations are going in full swing in all coastal villages in this district, and the government and army personnel are removing debris and boats, which landed on roads and bridges at several places.

Vivek Harinarain, Secretary, Information Technology, and M. Veera Shanmugha Moni, Nagapattinam Collector, said today that the death toll in the tsunami tragedy today touched 6,000 (1,867 men, 2,388 women, 879 male children and 866 female children) and all the bodies were either buried or cremated.

Mr. Harinarain said 20 fishermen from Keechankuppam and Akkaraipettai today ventured into the sea in three motorboats to study the condition for fishing, and also as a measure to create confidence among other fishermen. The army personnel repaired the boats and handed them to the fishermen under the supervision of J. Radhakrishnan, Thanjavur Collector.

Mr. Harinarain, who has been camping here Nagapattinam to monitor relief operations, said all relief materials from non-governmental organisations were being distributed through the district administration to relief centres.

Cash assistance

He said 11,104 families were given Rs. 4,000 each as relief assistance and 293 families of the victims Rs. 1 lakh each in the Natapattinam, Kilvelur, Vedaranyam, Sirkazhi and Tharangampadi taluks.

Orphanage opened

M. Veera Shanmugha Moni said the first orphanage was opened today by R.Vaidyalingam, Minister for Forests, at Sikkal near here and 21 children were sheltered there. The families of the victims in several coastal villages started moving to their original habitations.

Non-official sources said several highly decomposed bodies were recovered from debris at Thirumullaivasal, Nagore and Pazhayar today and the unofficial death toll rose to 6,300. Fishermen claimed that a number of fishermen and children were missing at many places.

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