Cyclone Ockhi: 12 more bodies found in Kerala, death toll hits 66

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Navy said that the search operations for the missing fishermen will be intensified further.

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With 12 more bodies recovered on Wednesday, the official death count for Ockhi cyclone has reached a toll of 66in the state of Kerala. As officials at the state control room declare that 39 bodies are yet to be identitfied, hundreds of families are eagerly waiting for their family members to come back from the sea.

Meanwhile 2,844 people were rescued since the cyclone hit the Kerala coast. After a Cabinet meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the search operations for the missing fishermen will be intensified further. He also added that defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has assure all help in intensifying search operations by Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force, reports Deccan Chronicle.

A report also said that, nine bodies were recovered off the Kozhikode coast in Beypore during joint search operations conducted by the Marine Enforcement Wing (MEW) of the fisheries department and the coastal police. Meanwhile a body each was retrieved from Ernakulam, Thrissur and Malappuram.

The bodies were shifted to the Kozhikode medical college hospital mortuary and DNA tests will be conducted to identify them.

Mahesh S, fisheries deputy director warned of winds with a speed reaching up to 55-60 km/hour along the Kerala coast in the next 24 hours. The waves may rise up to 4-6 metres. He also warned the fishermen against venturing into the sea, reported TOI.

The CM also said that the search teams were trying to retrieve bodies from deep sea. The CM added that the information given by fishermen about bodies floating in sea will also be taken seriously.

The defence personnel engaged in search operations said that Navy will carry out search and rescue operations as long as required.