Due to cyclone Ockhi, about 1,098 passengers were stranded in the Kochi, Kozhikode and Mangaluru ports
Three bodies were recovered this morning off the Kerala coast, taking the death toll due to
Cyclone Ockhi to 36 even as rescue operations are going on in full swing to
trace the 96 missing fishermen.While a body was recovered near Alappuzha by the Marine enforcement wing, two bodies were found by Coast Guard ship Vaibhav off the Alappuzha-Kochi coast this morning, defence sources said.
An Air Force aircraft AN 32, flying between Kozhikode and Kochi coasts had sighted a fishing boat with about 15 fishermen this morning following which Navy has sent a Dornier aircraft and ship to the area which is close to Lakshadweep islands, the sources said.
Meanwhile, shipping services from Kozhikode to Lakshadweep began today with around 60 passengers boarding the high speed vessel from Beypore this morning.
MV Minicoy, the passenger vessel which was berthed at Beypore had suffered some damage in the cyclone following which MMD officials had not granted travel clearance.
Yesterday, the high speed vessel arrived at Beypore from the islands to ferry the passengers, the sources said.
Around 1,600 passengers were transported from Kochi to various islands of Lakshadweep when the shipping services resumed on December 5, according to the sources.
Shipping services from Kochi to the Union Territory was stopped on November 30 to December 2, causing immense hardships to passengers.
From Mangaluru port, MV Amini Divi, will sail for Lakshadweep with 46 passengers tomorrow, the sources added.
Due to the cyclone, about 1,098 passengers had been stranded in the ports of Kochi, Kozhikode and Mangaluru since November 30.