Cyclone Ockhi: Rajnath speaks Tamil Nadu, Kerala CMs

Representational image (File pic)

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday talked to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and Kerala`s Pinarayi Vijayan over phone to take stock of situation about the areas in their states hit by Cyclone Ockhi, an official said on Monday.

The Home Minister also called up Lakshadweep Administrator Farooq Khan to enquire about the situation in the islands.

The cyclone, which struck southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala on November 30, has ravaged a large part of coastal areas. 

The Tamil Nadu government on Monday said a total of 2,604 fishermen out of the 2,864 caught in the cyclone have been rescued and search for the remaining 260 is on while the Kerala government said a total of 530 fishermen have been rescued and 50 still untraced.

A total of 11 Indian Coast Guard ships, two aircraft and two helicopters are presently carrying out search and rescue operations off the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Lakshadweep and Minicoy.

A meteorological department bulletin on Sunday said Cyclone Ockhi had moved further north-north-westwards at a speed of 12kmph and lay centred at about 440 km west-north-west of Amindivi (Lakshadweep), 870 km south-south-west of Mumbai and 1,070 km south-south-west of Surat.