With the recovery of two more bodies from the debris left by the deadly tsunami on the Kerala coasts, the death toll was officially put at 162 till this evening. However, unofficial figures put the toll at 176. Chief Minister Oomen Chandy, after a Cabinet meeting, said 162 people had died in the tidal waves with Kollam district accounting for the maximum 128 deaths followed by Alappuzha 29, Ernakulam four and Kannur one. Over 700 people had been injured. The body of a boy was recovered at Kayamkulam in Alappuzha while another body was fished out from Oachira in Kollam district today. Meanwhile, the state machinery had got into the massive drive of assessing losses and the efforts to record the number of missing people, as the tsunami threats subsided, a report from Kollam said. A total of 224 relief camps had been opened accommodating 159,000 people in the state. Brushing aside the criticism, the authorities also intensified relief operations especially at the camps, reports said. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to visit two relief camps at Karunagappaly in Kollam and Kayamkulam in Alappuzha districts tomorrow. The state Cabinet, which met here today, also decided to seek Rs 757 crore Central assistance besides launching several rehabilitation measures. The state also would go in for anti-disaster shelters, sea walls at worst-hit Alappad in Kollam district and construction of damaged houses, besides suspending revenue recovery measures on fishermen's loans. The Cabinet also replaced the Alappuzha district Collector following complaints of laxity in providing timely help to the affected. [Agency]
PM to visit Kerala as death toll crosses 170:
Thursday, December 30, 2004
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is arriving here tonight to visit the tsunami hit areas of Kollam and Apallpuzha districts in Kerala while the toll in the state crossed 170. The state Cabinet today had decided to seek a central assistance of Rs 757 crore for relief and rehabilitation of the tsunami affected people and asked the health department to take preventive measures to check epidemic outbreak. The Prime Minister who is arriving here at 11.15 tonight, is slated to visit Karunagapllay in Kollam and Kayamkulam in Alappuzha and Kolachal in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district tomorrow, official sources said. Officials have been asked to make efforts to trace the missing persons by ascertaining from the people living in relief camps the details of their near and dear ones yet to be traced. While the official toll was pegged at 162 with recovery of one body each from Kollam and Alappuzha districts, unconfirmed reports said the casualty would have crossed 170. A meeting of scientists and experts convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy decided to set up a permanent disaster management body in the state. Signalling that no laxity in relief efforts would be tolerated, the government today shifted Alappuzha district collector K M Ramanandan for lapses in implementing the relief work.
Kerala cancels New Year celebrations
Thursday, December 30, 2004
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government cancelled the New Year celebrations in view of the killer tsunami that has claimed 12,000 lives in India, including 162 in the state. "I also call upon the people of Kerala to see that we all do our bit to help ease the suffering (of the victims) by contributing freely for their rehabilitation," Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy said while speaking to reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting. "My appeal is that on account of the huge tragedy, we should not spend money on New Year celebrations and instead contribute it to the needy," Chandy added. He said the immediate task of his government was to ensure that relief and rehabilitation work was initiated wherever needed. "We have decided that all loans given in the coastal areas would be extended for another six months and fresh loans at lower rates of interest would be given to the needy," Chandy added. According to him, the state is asking for a Rs.7.57 billion assistance package from the centre to aid relief and rehabilitation work in the affected areas. Chandy said he had held elaborate discussions with scientists and it had been decided to set up a permanent disaster management team in two weeks.
