Miscellaneous - This Day That Age   

dated December 7, 1955: Havoc in Vedaranyam

Tidal waves following the cyclone inundated the coastal villages of Vedaranyam, Thopputhurai, Agastiampalli and other rural areas up to a distance of 10 miles. Roofs of houses have been blown off and many persons caught under the debris of collapsing houses. Harrowing tales of distress greeted the officials who visited the place. Mr. N. Krishnaswami, District Collector, Tanjore, and other officials rushed by train up to a certain point and walked along the railway track six miles to reach Vedaranyam. People there were not merely homeless, but most of them were without clothes even. The spectacle of three Muslims clinging to a single piece of cloth was tragic. One man spoke of how, when his hut was blown off, he rushed out into the open with his child in his arm. But before he could walk a few yards, the child which he was holding was blown away by the storm. With great difficulty he crawled on his belly to escape its fury. A policeman, who had gone out to rescue the inmates of a house which had collapsed, had the mortification of seeing, on return, his aged parents buried under the debris of his own house.

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