Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has informed the Lok Sabha through a written reply that 400 Tamil fishermen, who went missing during ‘Cyclone Ockhi’ which hit the Kanniyakumari coast late last month, haven’t yet been traced.

The cyclone hit Kanniyakumari, Kerala and Lakshadweep in all its fury, uprooting thousands of trees and destroying telecommunication network besides causing flooding.  Schools and other buildings in Kanniyakumari were totally destroyed.  Fishermen, who had taken to the seas for deep-sea fishing only the previous afternoon, were caught unawares about the cyclone in the absence of any warning.

“Personnel of the Indian Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard were pressed into service to trace the whereabouts of missing fishermen.  The personnel rescued 821 fishermen alive; besides, commercial fleet of the Navey has rescued 24 fishermen.  So far, 845 fishermen have been traced/rescued and have been sent back to their respective States.  Out of them 453 are Tamils, 362 are Keralites and 30 are from Lakshadweep.

“661 fishermen in all (out of them 400 are Tamils) have not yet been traced or located.  261 fishermen from Kerala are also missing,” the Minister informed the Lower House.