141 Kerala fishermen missing, 79 declared dead in Cyclone Ockhi

Thiruvananthapuram: A total of 141 Kerala fishermen remain missing following Cyclone Ockhi that hit the southern districts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu on November 30, according to official figures released here on Wednesday.

Another 75 fishermen from other states who went fishing from the Kerala coast are also untraced. A total of 79 Kerala fishermen have been declared dead.

There are 33 unclaimed bodies in various mortuaries of Kerala, with the Kozhikode Medical College having the most with 13. Three bodies were handed over on Wednesday to the kith and kin after DNA tests.

On Monday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented cheques for Rs 2.2 million each to the families of 25 of the dead fishermen.